Supreme Court Rejects Birthright Citizenship Ban, Upholds Transgender Sports Restrictions and Lifts Campaign Spending Limits

On the final day of its term, the United States Supreme Court handed down a series of major rulings impacting constitutional rights, athletic eligibility, and campaign finance. NBC News correspondent Ryan Nobles reports from Washington, D.C., on the high court's final decisions.

Birthright Citizenship Executive Order Overturned

In a major setback to a key element of his agenda, the Supreme Court blocked President Trump's efforts to redefine who is an American by striking down his executive order nullifying birthright citizenship. Signed on his first day in office, the executive order was ruled unconstitutional in a 6-3 decision.

The Court determined the order violated the 14th Amendment, which was enacted after the Civil War to ensure everyone, including former slaves, possessed citizenship rights. Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts stated:

"The Framers of the Fourteenth Amendment extended that promise to every free-born person in this land. We keep that promise today."

The ruling prompted immediate reactions from political leaders:

• President Trump labeled the decision bad for the country and stated that Congress should work to end birthright citizenship.

• House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) expressed his disappointment, saying, "I think it subjects the country to serious challenges going forward, and we'll have to deal with it as Congress."

• Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Adriano Espaillat celebrated the ruling with supporters, stating, "Trump tried to erase one of our nation's clearest constitutional guarantee, and he failed. We won."

State Restrictions on Transgender Athletes Upheld

In a separate ruling, the Supreme Court dealt a blow to LGBTQ+ rights by siding with two states that banned transgender athletes from playing girls' and women's sports.

The athletic bans in West Virginia and Idaho were challenged by athletes who claimed the state regulations violated both the U.S. Constitution and Title IX—the federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in education.

Supporters who gathered to hear the decision celebrated the outcome, stating:

"And we see from today's decision this is not a red issue or a blue issue. This is truth, this is fairness, this is safety, this is justice."

While the high court ruling directly concerns West Virginia and Idaho, the decision is expected to affect 25 other states that currently have similar athletic bans in place.

Campaign Finance Coordination Limits Defeated

In one of its final actions, the Supreme Court agreed with two Republican committees and two political candidates who argued that federal campaign finance rules restricting national committee coordination and spending with a candidate violate the First Amendment.

In another 6-3 decision, the high court ruled that the spending limitations are unconstitutional. Vice President J.D. Vance, who was a Senate candidate at the time of the initial filing, was among the challengers who brought the case to court.

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Source: NBC News