US Supreme Court curbs federal judges’ power, handing Trump major victory on executive authority | 5 takeaways

The Supreme Court delivered a major victory to President Donald Trump on Friday, sharply limiting federal judges’ authority to block presidential policies through nationwide injunctions. In a 6-3 ruling split along ideological lines, Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote that such sweeping orders “likely exceed the equitable authority” granted to courts, calling them a “conspicuously nonexistent” practice for most of US history.

While the case stemmed from challenges to Trump’s executive order denying citizenship to babies of undocumented or temporary residents, the Court deliberately avoided ruling on the order’s constitutionality. Instead, Barrett emphasized that courts cannot exercise “general oversight of the Executive Branch,” effectively dismantling a key check on presidential power that had blocked dozens of Trump’s policies.

The immediate impact creates legal limbo for birthright citizenship: The policy could take effect in 28 non-challenging states after a 30-day window, potentially creating a “patchwork” system where citizenship rules differ by state. Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s dissent, read aloud in a rare display of protest, blasted the majority for enabling “gamesmanship” and issuing “an open invitation for the Government to bypass the Constitution”.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson similarly warned the ruling permits the executive to “violate the Constitution with respect to anyone who has not yet sued,” concluding her dissent without the traditional “respectfully” as a pointed rebuke. The Court suggested challengers pivot to class-action lawsuits, a path immigration advocates immediately pursued in Maryland and New Hampshire filings.

Trump celebrated the decision as a “monumental victory” against “radical left judges,” while Attorney General Pam Bondi denounced “rogue judges” who had issued 35 injunctions against Trump policies from just five districts. Legally, the ruling empowers Trump to revive stalled policies like transgender healthcare and refugee resettlement.

However, constitutional scholars warn it risks “chaotic” outcomes, including potential statelessness for newborns and conflicting state-level citizenship standards.

With the Supreme Court likely to hear the birthright citizenship merits in October, the decision marks Trump’s 10th emergency docket win this term, solidifying a broader pattern of judicial deference to his executive authority.