New Delhi: In a significant judicial shift, the United States Supreme Court has ruled that lower court judges have limited authority to block presidential directives, which former President Donald Trump described as a “giant win.”
The Court ruled in favour of limiting the power of lower courts to issue nationwide injunctions, marking a major victory for Trump. The decision stems from lawsuits filed by immigrant rights groups and 22 states challenging an executive order Trump signed on his first day back in office, which aimed to end birthright citizenship for children born in the US to non-citizens and undocumented immigrants.
Lower courts overstepped
Legal experts noted that the ruling is likely to reshape how executive actions are challenged in the future. Many expect new legal battles to arise, according to a report by the BBC.
While lower courts initially blocked the executive order, the Justice Department appealed, arguing that such sweeping injunctions were unconstitutional. In a 6–3 decision, the Supreme Court sided with the administration, stating that federal courts had overstepped their authority.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett, writing for the majority, said federal courts do not “exercise general oversight of the Executive Branch,” but rather “resolve cases and controversies consistent with the authority Congress has given them.”
Justice Brett Kavanaugh added that it is ultimately the Supreme Court, not lower courts, that should decide the legality of major federal actions.
Trump hails ‘monumental victory’
President Trump celebrated the ruling in a surprise press conference, calling it a “monumental victory for the Constitution, the separation of powers, and the rule of law.”
The ruling means Trump’s executive order could take effect within 30 days, though legal experts anticipate further challenges to its implementation. Samuel Bray, a professor at Notre Dame Law School and an expert on nationwide injunctions, speaking to the BBC, said the ruling “has fundamentally reset the relationship between the federal courts and the executive branch.”
Justice Sonia Sotomayor, writing the dissent for the liberal justices, criticised the Trump administration’s request as “gamesmanship,” and said the Court “plays along.”
