The US Supreme Court has heard oral arguments in an appeal brought by the Trump administration, seeking to reinstate restrictions on birthright citizenship set out in an executive order signed on 20 January. The case centres on an emergency application filed on 13 March, following federal court rulings that blocked the enforcement of the policy.

Judges in Maryland, Massachusetts and Washington had issued preliminary injunctions preventing the order from taking effect, prompting the administration to argue that no single district court judge should have the authority to block a policy with nationwide impact.

The executive order, one of the Trump administration’s most controversial immigration measures, aims to narrow the interpretation of the 14th Amendment, which guarantees citizenship to nearly all individuals born on US soil. Appeals courts have so far upheld the injunctions, setting the stage for a high-stakes constitutional battle at the Supreme Court.

Agencies.