Daijiworld Media Network – Washington
Washington, Jun 27: In a significant victory for President Donald Trump, the US Supreme Court on Friday limited the power of individual federal judges to issue nationwide injunctions that block executive actions. The ruling is expected to have a lasting impact on presidential authority and the balance of power between the executive and judicial branches.
The 6-3 verdict stemmed from legal battles over Trump’s executive order aimed at ending birthright citizenship for children born to undocumented or temporary visa holders. While the top court did not directly decide on the constitutionality of the order, it ruled that district court judges likely overstepped their authority by issuing nationwide blocks.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett, writing for the conservative majority, stated that federal courts are meant to resolve specific disputes, not oversee or restrain the Executive Branch broadly. “When a court concludes that the Executive Branch has acted unlawfully, the answer is not for the court to exceed its power, too,” she wrote.
The decision removes a key legal tool frequently used to stall Trump’s directives during his presidency, including immigration policies and other controversial executive actions. The three liberal justices on the bench dissented.
Solicitor General John Sauer, arguing on behalf of the Trump administration, compared nationwide injunctions to a "nuclear weapon," claiming they disrupted the constitutional separation of powers. Justice Samuel Alito also criticized the trend, warning that hundreds of judges each believing “they know best” could paralyze governance.
Trump’s birthright citizenship order, which declared that children born to undocumented immigrants or temporary visa holders would not automatically be citizens, was previously struck down by federal courts in Maryland, Massachusetts, and Washington State. These courts cited the 14th Amendment’s guarantee that all persons born in the US are citizens.
Although those lower court rulings remain in place for now, Friday’s Supreme Court decision may make it harder for judges to impose sweeping injunctions in the future, reinforcing presidential authority and altering the legal landscape for upcoming administrations.