Why the US supreme court’s birthright ruling brings only partial relief

A demonstrator outside the US supreme court in Washington DC on 1 April 2026. Photograph: Al Drago/Getty Images

For Monica, one of the immigrant mothers at the heart of the legal battle over birthright citizenship, the supreme court’s decision on Tuesday upholding the constitutional right passed through her like a cool, deep breath.

The court affirmed that her son is, unequivocally, a US citizen. “I feel relief,” she said over the phone on Tuesday morning. “He has a future.”