Trump asks Supreme Court to limit nationwide injunctions on birthright citizenship order

President Trump has asked the US Supreme Court to limit the scope of lower court orders that broadly blocked his executive order on birthright citizenship.

The Trump administration filed three separate emergency requests concerning cases from Maryland, Massachusetts, and Washington state, Caliber.Az reports via US media.

These requests challenge district court rulings that blocked the enforcement of the president's executive order, which was signed on his first day in office.

The executive order sought to end birthright citizenship for children born in the US to parents who are unlawfully present or temporarily in the country on visas. The order has been met with legal challenges, with critics arguing it violates the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment.

In its request to the Supreme Court, the Trump administration, represented by Acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris, asked the justices to limit the scope of the nationwide injunctions to only those individuals directly involved in the cases. Harris argued that the issue at hand is constitutionally significant and could have major implications for border security. However, she emphasized that while the legal challenges progress, the high court should restrict the injunctions that prevent the order from applying across the nation.

The Trump administration has faced multiple rulings from district courts that blocked the birthright citizenship order. Four US district judges, in Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Washington, issued orders halting enforcement. Efforts to narrow the scope of these injunctions have been unsuccessful at the appeals court level.

The administration contends that these broad injunctions are preventing the executive branch from fulfilling its constitutional responsibilities and carrying out essential policies. Harris highlighted the surge in universal injunctions since February 2025, arguing they hinder the government’s ability to function and flood the courts with emergency requests.

The administration also claimed the district court rulings on birthright citizenship were exacerbating the crisis at the southern border. Harris argued that these injunctions incentivize illegal immigration by offering the possibility of US citizenship for children of undocumented migrants, thereby attracting more illegal immigration.

The use of nationwide injunctions has been a point of contention for both Republicans and Democrats. Administrations from both parties have criticized such orders when challenging opposing party policies. Even some Supreme Court justices have questioned the validity of these broad orders. In 2018, Justice Clarence Thomas raised concerns about the authority of district courts to issue nationwide injunctions, suggesting the Court might need to address the legality of such actions if they continue.

By Tamilla Hasanova