June 27, 2025
Please see below for a statement from Professor Michele Bratcher Goodwin, co-faculty director of the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law, regarding today’s Supreme Court ruling in Trump v. CASA.
“Birthright citizenship is one of the defining constitutional rights of the United States. This right dates to the nation’s reconstruction following the Civil War, granting citizenship to all individuals born in the United States. This principle has been tested before, and the Supreme Court was unequivocal in United States v. Wong Kim Ark that, regardless of parental status, citizenship in the United States is tied to birth in this country. Donald Trump’s unconstitutional executive order shows a faithlessness to our nation’s constitution.
Yet, one cannot deny the ultimate substantive question underlying the order and this litigation. As such, the Court has embarked on a dangerous path by giving its imprimatur to the lawlessness found in this executive order.
Moreover, the Court exposes that behind its veil of originalism is outcome determinism, which aligns closely with the political agenda of a president who shows little care for the rule of law.”
For media inquiries, please contact oneillcomms@georgetown.edu.