Fourteenth Amendment

The Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified after the Civil War, is a cornerstone of civil rights, guaranteeing citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States and ensuring equal protection of the laws. Recent Supreme Court rulings have touched upon its principles. In a 6-3 decision, the Court struck down a Trump administration executive order that sought to end birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to undocumented parents, upholding the long-standing interpretation of the amendment. Conversely, a unanimous 9-0 decision upheld state laws barring transgender women and girls from participating in female sports teams, a ruling that did not directly address the Fourteenth Amendment's equal protection clause but was framed within civil rights statutes. These cases highlight the ongoing legal and societal debates surrounding citizenship, equality, and the application of constitutional rights in contemporary America.