Supreme Court strikes down birthright citizenship, upholds transgender ban

The US Supreme Court has dealt a significant blow to President Donald Trump's immigration agenda by striking down his executive order that sought to end automatic citizenship for babies born on American soil. In a 6-3 ruling, the justices affirmed that birthright citizenship is a right enshrined in the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution, which states that all persons born in the United States are citizens. The decision marks a major setback for Mr Trump, who had made the executive order a priority on his first day back in the White House. The order had been put on hold pending legal arguments, and today's ruling means it can never be enforced.

However, in a separate decision that Mr Trump hailed as a "big win", the court upheld laws banning transgender athletes from competing in girls' and women's school sports. This ruling allows states to continue restricting participation based on biological sex, a policy that the president strongly supports. The dual rulings highlight the divided nature of the court, which has six conservative and three liberal justices. On the birthright citizenship case, three conservative justices joined the liberal bloc to uphold the constitutional right, a rare split that underscores the strength of the legal precedent.

Mr Trump responded on social media, suggesting he might try to introduce legislation in Congress to overturn birthright citizenship. But legal experts note that because the justices have ruled that the right is enshrined in the Constitution, any legislative attempt would face significant constitutional hurdles. The outcome is a clear victory for immigration advocates and a defeat for the president's hardline immigration policies, while the transgender ban ruling provides a win for conservative social agendas.