American Bar Association statement Re: Supreme Court decision on birthright citizenship

June 30, 2026

American Bar Association statement Re: Supreme Court decision on birthright citizenship

CHICAGO, June 30, 2026 - The American Bar Association commends the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Trump v. Barbara upholding the constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship. This ruling affirms a principle that has been long-established in American law: that the Citizenship Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment confers citizenship on all persons born in the United States, regardless of parentage.

This decision also reflects fidelity to more than a century of Supreme Court precedent interpreting the Fourteenth Amendment to guarantee citizenship broadly to those born on U.S. soil. In reaffirming that principle, the court has upheld not only constitutional text but also the continuity and integrity of the nation's legal framework.

In its amicus brief, the ABA emphasized that this settled understanding is not merely a matter of historical practice, but a cornerstone of legal stability and the rule of law. The court's decision recognizes that efforts to narrow birthright citizenship through executive action are inconsistent with the Constitution's text, structure and enduring precedent. As the ABA explained, abandoning this principle would "unsettle the law in innumerable areas," creating widespread uncertainty for courts, attorneys and the public alike.

The ABA further warned that eliminating or restricting birthright citizenship would impose untenable burdens on the legal system. Lawyers and their clients would be forced to navigate "fragmented and indeterminate citizenship-verification regimes," undermining the uniformity that is essential to a functioning national legal order. By rejecting such disruption, the court has preserved clarity, predictability and fairness - values that lie at the heart of the American justice system.

The ABA applauds the decision for recognizing that birthright citizenship is foundational to equal justice under law. The ruling ensures that citizenship does not depend on shifting political considerations but instead remains anchored in the Constitution's enduring command.