President Donald J. Trump said that if the U.S. Supreme Court upholds birthright citizenship, it would be a "disgrace" [1, 2].
The outcome of this legal battle could fundamentally alter the interpretation of the 14th Amendment and change how the U.S. determines citizenship for children born on American soil.
Trump spoke during a press briefing in Washington, D.C., on April 1, 2026 [2]. He targeted the Court's potential ruling as part of a broader immigration agenda aimed at striking down the birthright citizenship rule [3, 4].
"If the Supreme Court upholds birthright citizenship, it will be a disgrace," Trump said [1].
The president characterized the current policy as a hoax and a disgrace to the American people [2]. He said that his administration would continue to fight against what he described as an illegal policy [5].
The legal challenge seeks to limit the automatic granting of citizenship to those born in the U.S. to non-citizen parents. The Supreme Court scheduled arguments on the birthright citizenship case for May 2026 [6].
Trump's opposition centers on the belief that the current application of the 14th Amendment is flawed. He has consistently argued that the Court should strike down the rule to tighten border controls, and limit the number of people qualifying for citizenship through birth alone [3, 4].
"We will be there, and we will fight this illegal policy," Trump said [5].
“"If the Supreme Court upholds birthright citizenship, it will be a disgrace."”
This pressure campaign reflects an attempt to influence the judiciary on a cornerstone of U.S. constitutional law. If the Court agrees with the administration, it would overturn decades of legal precedent regarding the 14th Amendment, potentially creating a new class of undocumented residents born within the U.S., and significantly shifting the legal landscape of American immigration.
