Supreme Court Limits Nationwide Injunctions, Leaves Trump Order Blocked

Washington D.C: – In a landmark decision, the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday limited the power of federal judges to issue sweeping “universal” injunctions—orders that have long been used to block government policies nationwide during legal disputes. The ruling marks a significant victory for President Donald Trump, yet paradoxically leaves his controversial birthright citizenship executive order still blocked from taking effect.

President Trump’s directive, signed on his first day back in office this January, seeks to deny U.S. citizenship to children born on American soil unless at least one parent is a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident. The order swiftly faced legal challenges, and three federal judges in Maryland, Washington, and Massachusetts issued nationwide injunctions, citing likely violations of the 14th Amendment of the Constitution.

While the Supreme Court’s conservative majority—led by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a Trump appointee—sided with the administration in narrowing the scope of such injunctions, the ruling left space for plaintiffs to pursue relief through class action lawsuits. These could potentially still block enforcement of the executive order for large groups of affected individuals.

Legal experts say the ruling redefines how courts handle federal policies, warning against what Barrett called an “imperial” judiciary. Judges, she wrote, should grant “complete relief” only to plaintiffs before them, rather than halting policies for the entire nation.

Samuel Bray, a law professor at Notre Dame and a key critic of universal injunctions whose work was cited in the court’s decision, said he doesn’t believe the birthright citizenship order will ever take effect. He anticipates a rise in class action suits to maintain protection for those affected.

Indeed, plaintiffs in the Maryland case—among them expectant immigrant mothers and advocacy groups—have already petitioned the court to classify the case as a class action. Their goal is to ensure nationwide relief even under the Supreme Court’s new constraints.

While the ruling bolsters Trump’s ability to advance his broader policy agenda—including crackdowns on immigration, transgender rights, and diversity initiatives—it also signals a shift in how future legal battles will be fought. Legal observers expect lower courts to play a more central role in determining the scope of relief in cases that challenge sweeping executive orders.

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The court notably deferred a decision on whether individual states suing the federal government can seek injunctions that apply beyond their own borders, instructing lower courts to address that issue first.