The Supreme Court's Ruling on Birthright Citizenship Was a Warning

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At the end of June, the Supreme Court affirmed that birthright citizenship is the law of the land. The decision, by Chief Justice John Roberts, upholds the clear meaning of the Constitution and knocks down the Trump administration’s attempt to deny citizenship to thousands of newborns every year.

It’s no exaggeration to say that the case was a test of whether this would remain a nation where everyone is born on equal legal footing, or whether the country would revert to a caste system in which one’s place in society is determined by the status of one’s parents.

And the decision was scandalously close.

This term, the court didn’t move the ball down the field, they scored tournament-changing goals. The country is already feeling the consequences.

After the final decision, Mother Jones reporters Isabela Dias, Pema Levy, and Garrison Hayes sat down to discuss the court's consequential 2025-2026 term. Listen in for a wide-ranging conversation on the birthright citizenship ruling, court reform, and what this term means for the country.

Conversation recorded on June 30, 2026.

#podcast #supremecourt #scotus #immigration #trump

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