Swapna Kumbar , Bengaluru - The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected Donald Trump’s attempt to narrow birthright citizenship, preserving the long-standing rule that most people born on U.S. soil are citizens at birth. The ruling blocks a key part of Trump’s immigration crackdown and leaves his first-day executive order unenforceable as written.

In a 6-3 decision, the court said the Constitution guarantees automatic citizenship to virtually all children born in the United States, including those born to parents who are in the country illegally or on temporary visas. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion, and five justices agreed with the constitutional reasoning, while Justice Brett Kavanaugh agreed the order was invalid but on narrower statutory grounds.

The order at issue had been signed by Trump on the first day of his second term and was designed to deny citizenship to babies born to certain noncitizen parents. The justices relied on the long-standing understanding of the 14th Amendment and said a president cannot change that right by executive order. The decision also reaffirmed a legal rule that has shaped U.S. citizenship law since the late 19th century.

The ruling is a major setback for Trump’s immigration agenda and may force the administration to seek any future changes through Congress instead. It also removes uncertainty for families who could have been affected by the order had it taken effect.

Birthright citizenship remains intact, and the Supreme Court has closed off Trump’s attempt to end it by executive action. Any further effort to change the rule will likely have to come through legislation or a constitutional fight, not a presidential order.