(Scypre.com) – President Trump’s administration is preparing to begin enforcement of a controversial executive order that seeks to limit birthright citizenship, with the Department of Justice confirming the rollout could begin as early as late July. This development follows a recent Supreme Court ruling that restricted the use of nationwide injunctions by federal judges, paving the way for the policy to take effect in states that are not currently involved in ongoing legal challenges. The executive order, signed on Trump’s first day back in office, aims to deny automatic U.S. citizenship to children born on American soil to non-citizen or undocumented immigrant parents—a move that has reignited fierce debate over the interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment.
The Department of Justice, in a court filing this week, clarified that while the order would go into effect soon, it would not result in the deportation of any U.S.-born children. DOJ attorney Brad Rosenberg told a federal judge in Maryland that enforcement would begin only after new agency guidance is issued and that no child currently in the U.S. would be removed because of the order. This response came after civil rights groups raised alarm over whether infants born in the U.S. could be stripped of their legal protections and face deportation if their parents were undocumented. Although the DOJ assured the court that such outcomes were not being contemplated, civil liberties groups remain skeptical and are pursuing further litigation in multiple states to prevent the policy’s implementation.
The legal and political ramifications of the order are substantial. With the Supreme Court’s recent decision limiting the reach of district court rulings, it’s now possible for federal policy to be enforced differently from one state to another. This opens the door to a patchwork of citizenship laws across the country, creating a scenario in which a child born in Texas might be treated differently from one born in California. President Trump has touted the ruling as a major victory for executive authority and national sovereignty, while opponents argue it sets a dangerous precedent that could undermine constitutional protections. As the administration moves forward with enforcement, a wave of new lawsuits is expected, potentially setting the stage for another Supreme Court showdown later this year.