SUMMARY
On June 30, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6–3 that children born in the United States to parents who are temporarily or unlawfully present in the country are entitled to birthright citizenship under the Fourteenth Amendment, rejecting the Trump administration's narrower interpretation of the Citizenship Clause.
View the transcript of the story.
NOTE: If you are short on time, watch the video and complete this See, Think, Wonder activity: What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What would you want to learn more about? You can also make a Google doc copy of these general discussion questions.
News alternative: Check our recent segments from the News Hour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching and see the Google doc above for discussion questions.
WARM-UP QUESTIONS
- Who wrote the majority opinion in this case?
- What is birth tourism?
- What was President Trump's argument regarding the Fourteenth Amendment?
- Why would legislation contradicting the U.S. Constitution be considered invalid?
- How will hundreds of thousands of newborn children be affected by this new ruling?
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
- What does Trump v. Barbara tell us about precedent? Do you think justices should always uphold precedent?
- How can conflicts between the branches of government strengthen or challenge American democracy?
Media literacy: Supreme Court decisions are often complex and can be interpreted in different ways. Pay attention to the difference between what the Court actually ruled and how commentators, politicians or media outlets interpret the significance of those rulings. Where could you go to find out more from reliable sources about this case?
WHAT STUDENTS CAN DO
Watch this News Hour piece and working in pairs, have students note down these major components:
- Majority opinion
- Main argument
- Constitutional reasoning
- Evidence used
- Dissenting opinion
- Main argument
- Constitutional reasoning
- Evidence used
Have students write a two-paragraph response on which argument they find more persuasive and why.
Written by Jackalyn Karamanougian, PBS News Hour Classroom's intern, and News Hour's Victoria Pasquantonio
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