TOI correspondent from Washington: In a scene without precedent in the 237-year history of the American judiciary, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday attended the Supreme Court hearing in the birthright citizenship case, highlighting the profound significance of the outcome even as critics saw his appearance as an attempt to intimidate the nine justices.
At the heart of the case is Trump’s January 2025 executive order that seeks to dismantle the long-standing interpretation of the 14th Amendment, denying automatic citizenship to approximately 250,000 children born annually in the US to undocumented parents or temporary visa holders. The administration's architect for the argument, Solicitor General John Sauer, contended that the phrase "subject to the jurisdiction thereof" excludes those without "full allegiance" or permanent domicile in the United States.
