Can babies be stateless in the US? What the Supreme Court's ruling means for birthright citizenship
The Supreme Court has permitted President Trump's order on birthright citizenship to advance in 28 states. A 30-day delay is in place. Legal challenges are ongoing. States like California and New York are exempt for now. Class-action lawsuits are being pursued. Experts warn of potential statelessness for some children. Mixed-status families may face complications.
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What the Supreme Court's Decision Means for Birthright Citizenship
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In a key decision, the Supreme Court has allowed President Donald Trump's executive order ending birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants and temporary visa holders to proceed in 28 states. While the court did not rule on the constitutionality of the order, it struck down nationwide injunctions that had blocked its enforcement. A 30-day delay has been set before the order takes effect, giving legal challengers time to regroup.States including California, New York, and Maryland—part of a group of 22 states that had sued the federal government—will not see immediate enforcement due to existing court blocks. Lawyers representing those states are now moving quickly to convert their cases into class-action lawsuits to preserve broader protections.Stephen Yale-Loehr, immigration scholar at Cornell Law School, said as told to The New York Times:'The court decision today means that unless a court certifies a class action within the next 30 days, the Trump administration can start to implement its repeal of birthright citizenship.'With the 30-day window now active, immigration lawyers and civil rights groups are racing to block enforcement before it begins. The constitutional question of who qualifies as an American citizen remains unresolved and is likely headed for another round in the courts.No. The court imposed a 30-day delay. The order may be implemented only in the 28 states that did not file legal challenges. In states that did, earlier court rulings remain in place, pending further litigation.Challengers have filed for class-action status, which would allow affected individuals across all states to be represented collectively. The Supreme Court left open this legal path. Federal judges will need to certify these classes quickly for them to have legal standing.Tianna Mays, legal director at Democracy Defenders Fund, said to The New York Times:'The Constitution guarantees birthright citizenship, and no procedural ruling will stop us from fighting to uphold that promise.'Yes. In enforcement states, babies born to undocumented immigrants may not receive US citizenship. While many will inherit citizenship from their parents' home countries, some may not, depending on each country's nationality laws.Experts say deportation would depend on the parents' immigration status. Cristina Rodriguez, a professor at Yale Law School, told The New York Times:'What will matter is the status of the parents, in which case there is no bar for removing the babies along with parents.'Under the executive order, children born to individuals on temporary visas—such as H-1B workers or student visa holders—would not automatically receive citizenship. These children may inherit temporary status but would lack the rights tied to citizenship.Rodriguez added:'They just won't get birth certificates.'Children born during enforcement might gain retroactive citizenship if courts eventually invalidate the order. However, this would require a formal process and could delay access to healthcare, education, and legal documentation.Rodriguez warned:'Practically, it could be a gigantic hassle, and there could be significant consequences.'If a family has children born before and after the order, citizenship status could differ among siblings. This may lead to complications in accessing benefits or remaining in the country.Yale-Loehr told The New York Times:'The practical problems of ending birthright citizenship are both huge and unpredictable.'
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First Post
38 minutes ago
- First Post
Lessons Israel-Iran war has for India's Operation Sindoor
India has to learn from Israel the contours of future war, where the enemy could be already well within the gates, wreaking havoc when it is given the signal read more It may be too early to learn lessons from the Israel-Iran war, but there are certainly some quick takeaways for India. Because Operation Sindoor is not over, and terrorism from Pakistan is unlikely to end as long as the army is in control there. Don't forget also that everyone is watching the war calibration carefully. Lessons will be learnt by all sides in this for their own purposes. And that's where we need to think and analyse and plan for the future. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Deep Intelligence The first aspect of the war is that Israel had access to precise intelligence on the ground in terms of a continuous feed. Fodrow, Natanz and others were static bases and needed no great intelligence capability. But the targeting of some 14 scientists is a different game altogether. Reports indicate that the majority were killed by explosive-laden drones, indicating a very high level of internal penetration into Iran. Israel has always had a formidable intelligence capability. But this was something else, and it's an open question what kind of deep assets it used when the 'go' command was given. For depend upon this. Such assets are not built overnight. That is worrying in terms of future wars. That means India has to not just up its technical intelligence for the future but also use technology to guard against such locally launched attacks – which could be on intel agencies, on high officials, and on personnel of sensitive installations. So far, the thrust of defence expenditure has been in securing the country's borders. Time to look inwards. Sindoor as Template The second aspect is rather the reverse. In many ways, the US operation, 'Midnight Hammer', was a textbook copy of 'Operation Sindoor'. Trump's announcement of having targeted 'only' nuclear sites, clear signs of talking to Iranians, and most of all, a series of moves to end the war quickly, something that the US is not known for. Those moves included allowing China to continue to buy oil – though sanctions remain – thus ensuring that outside powers did not take a hand. Iran was mollified by leaving open the possibility of sanctions relief. Then was his weighing heavily on Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, to end his continuing strikes. Since the US could at any time stop its missile interception assistance for Israel, this arm-twisting was likely to have had a telling effect. The Standoff War Another takeaway from both operations is the 'stand-off' wars. Prior to US entry into Iran, Washington made sure that Israel had managed complete air superiority with bombing and missile raids. Even then it used a formidable array of aircraft that included the famed Stealth B-2's, practically invisible to radar, and fighter aircraft from its many bases in West Asia. And to make trebly sure, some 'two dozen' land-attack cruise missiles were fired from a submarine which was entirely undetected, at Isfahan. All attacks were at the extreme west of Iran, indicating that aircraft had no intention of doing a flyby and 'loitering' in the war zone. The blueprint of overwhelming force is used since even one aircraft lost would have been the political end for President Trump. No cities were hit, and US intel would have known full well that the major sites had been evacuated. But the lesson is that when there are no serious casualties, escalation is unlikely. This was also the case in Sindoor, where casualties were few. India did not have such a luxury of a package of aircraft (not to mention bases from where fighters could take off and provide protective cover), nor did it even enter Pakistan. But both provide a lesson in 'stand-off' wars. That means a line of technology development that includes, vitally, the ability of continuous satellite monitoring. India's own space programmes need to take note, and quickly. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Control of the Narrative Another issue to assess is control of the narrative. Even today, the imagery that is being discussed all over the internet is that of Iran. The damages to Israel were kept under wraps, with even the last missile strike by Iran, which mowed down three buildings at Beersheba, with casualties estimated at 4, which seems incredible given the clearly apparent destruction. But Israelis have long been used to violence and have safe rooms, standard procedures for quick evacuation and bunkers. What was hidden even more was the cost that Israel had to take on, with one estimate putting this at $3 billion in immediate costs, while tax authorities estimate costs at more than double the sum of claims stemming from the October 7 attack plus all 615 days since. And that's just claims for damages to property. Apart from this is the loss of man hours and its effect on gross domestic product. But the point is that none of this was apparent in an independent media, with the opposition swiftly putting aside rivalry in a show of national solidarity. It was only after a truce was declared that the Opposition lambasted Trump for interfering in the criminal charges against Netanyahu, which began in 2020 for fraud and breach of trust. Israel, like India, enjoyed widespread support after the first Hamas attack, which, however, rapidly deteriorated as its war entered its 629th day. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Even the recent meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation saw a split – as did the G-7 meeting – over the question of the Iran war. In the end, the general consensus is that Iran can still make the bomb, perhaps in months. The takeaway of this lesson is probably that warmaking seldom wins friends and, in today's world, may not even deliver desired objectives. Far better to build up a narrative, as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh did recently when he refused to sign on to a joint statement of the Shanghai Organisation Cooperation while calling out the double standards on terrorism. But overall, here's the sum of it all. Internally, India has managed Kashmir without inordinate use of force; in fact, with 'one hand tied behind its back'. That, together with the manifold changes after the revocation of Article 370, had integrated Kashmir to the rest of India even more, not the other way around. That's something Tel Aviv should learn. But India has to, in turn, learn from Israel the contours of future war, where the enemy could be already well within the gates, wreaking havoc when it is given the signal. In this, both Pakistan and China are better placed than India. Time to reverse that, either with human assets – which are difficult for obvious reasons – and with technology. Future iterations of Operation Sindoor need to keep this clearly in the forefront. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The author is Director (R&A) at the Centre for Land Warfare Studies. She tweets @kartha_tara. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost's views.
Time of India
42 minutes ago
- Time of India
Trump slams $30 billion Iran deal report as 'sick hoax' while supreme court hands him sweeping powers
It was a Friday of fire for Donald Trump, first came explosive headlines accusing him of planning a $30 billion civil nuclear deal with Iran, and then came a Supreme Court ruling handing him a game-changing expansion of presidential power. And, true to form, Trump was not in the mood for calm responses. Donald Trump demands prosecution over Iran Intel leak | Credit: X Trump explodes over 'ridiculous' $30 billion Iran deal report US media outlet CNN claimed that Trump's administration was considering offering Iran up to $30 billion in economic aid to develop a non-military nuclear programme, in exchange for halting uranium enrichment. That would be a massive pivot for the former president, who famously torched Obama's Iran nuclear deal back in 2018. But Trump is having none of it. Taking to Truth Social in his signature all-caps fury, the former president blasted the reports as 'FAKE NEWS' and 'just another HOAX.' He questioned which so-called journalist was behind the claim and doubled down on calling the media 'sick' for pushing what he said is a fabricated narrative. US President Donald Trump | Credit: X Sources claim the alleged deal included help from regional players to build nuclear facilities, but Trump insisted he had 'never heard' of such a plan. If true, the pivot would be monumental, coming just days after US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites and a surprise ceasefire deal brokered by Trump amid heightened Middle East tensions. Supreme court gives Trump a legal superpower While Trump was on the warpath online, the US Supreme Court handed him what he called a 'big, amazing decision' in his favour. The justices ruled that lower courts would face more limitations when blocking executive orders, a legal shift that significantly strengthens Trump's authority. Calling it a 'monumental victory for the Constitution,' Trump beamed at reporters from the White House podium. Legal experts now say this ruling could allow Trump to push through key elements of his second-term agenda with fewer judicial roadblocks. Donald Trump demands prosecution over Iran Intel leak | Credit: X Birthright citizenship: Next battle incoming? One of the first big policy moves expected is an attack on birthright citizenship. Trump's controversial executive order ending automatic citizenship for all babies born on US soil is now set to go into effect within a month. While the Supreme Court has not fully shut the door on legal challenges, it has given Trump a crucial head start.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
After Israel-Iran ceasefire, mediators try to grab ‘opportunity' for a Gaza truce
Gaza mediators are engaging with Israel and Hamas to build on momentum from this week's ceasefire with Iran and work towards a truce in the Palestinian territory, Qatar foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said. A two-month truce between Israel and Hamas collapsed in March, with Jerusalem intensifying military operations in Gaza afterwards.(AFP) Israel and Iran on Tuesday agreed to a ceasefire brokered by the United States and Qatar just hours after the Islamic republic launched a salvo of missiles towards the wealthy Gulf state, targeting the American military base hosted there. The unprecedented attack on Qatari soil followed Washington's intervention into a days-long war between Israel and Iran which saw US warplanes strike Iranian nuclear facilities, prompting promises of retaliation from Tehran. In an interview with AFP on Friday, Ansari said Doha -- with fellow Gaza mediators in Washington and Cairo -- was now "trying to use the momentum that was created by the ceasefire between Iran and Israel to restart the talks over Gaza". "If we don't utilise this window of opportunity and this momentum, it's an opportunity lost amongst many in the near past. We don't want to see that again," the spokesman, who is also an adviser to Qatar's prime minister, said. US President Donald Trump voiced optimism on Friday about a new ceasefire in Gaza saying an agreement involving Israel and Hamas could come as early as next week. Mediators have been engaged in months of back-and-forth negotiations with the warring parties aimed at ending 20 months of war in Gaza, with Ansari explaining there were no current talks between the sides but that Qatar was "heavily involved in talking to every side separately". 'The right pressure' A two-month truce, which was agreed as Trump came into office in January, collapsed in March with Israel intensifying military operations in Gaza afterwards. "We have seen US pressure and what it can accomplish," Ansari said referring to the January truce which saw dozens of hostages held by Hamas released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. The Qatari official said particularly in the context of US enforcement of the Israel-Iran truce, it was "not a far-fetched idea" that pressure from Washington would achieve a fresh truce in Gaza. "We are working with them very, very closely to make sure that the right pressure is applied from the international community as a whole, especially from the US, to see both parties at the negotiating table," Ansari said. There were no casualties on Monday when Iran targeted Al Udeid, the Middle East's biggest US base and headquarters of its regional command. Ansari said that as leaders were weighing their response to the attack, a call came from the US president to Qatar's emir, saying "there is a possibility for regional stability... and that Israel has agreed to a ceasefire". "Qatar could have taken the decision to escalate," Ansari said. "But because there was a chance for peace... we opted for that," he said.
