What the Supreme Court's birthright-citizenship case is really about
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Who is hosting the episode and what are the main topics?
Good morning. It's Thursday, May 15th. I'm Shamita Basu. This is Apple News Today. On today's show, the Republicans raising concerns about Trump's Qatari jet gift. In manufacturing towns, support for tariffs is a mixed bag. And why women feel the effects of alcohol more than men.
What is the Supreme Court case about birthright citizenship?
But first, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments today in a case that stems from President Trump's attempt to end birthright citizenship, the constitutional right that guarantees automatic citizenship to children born in the U.S., regardless of their parents' citizenship or immigration status. Trump, in his first day in office, signed an executive order seeking to end this right. Attorneys general from 22 states, advocacy groups, and a number of individual immigrant plaintiffs have since challenged his order. And federal judges in three states have issued injunctions to block it from being enforced nationwide. One judge called it blatantly unconstitutional. But that's not actually what the Supreme Court is looking at.
The Trump administration did not ask the Supreme Court to decide whether Trump's executive order is constitutional. Maureen Groppi is the Supreme Court correspondent for USA Today.
What legal questions are at the heart of the Supreme Court case?
It asks the Supreme Court to narrow the holds that judges around the country have put on the policy. These judges have said this policy can't be implemented while the constitutionality of the policy is being litigated. And the Trump administration filed an emergency request to the Supreme Court saying that the judges shouldn't be allowed to do that. So, in other words, the legal questions in this case are really about the scope of executive power and to what degree lower courts are allowed to restrict a president from pursuing this type of action. The administration is arguing the courts have overreached and that they're illegally limiting the power of the president. Those challenging the order have said their actions are warranted.
Without a nationwide injunction, without a nationwide pause for everybody, that's going to create chaos and confusion across the country about who exactly is entitled to birthright citizenship. So even if there are some legitimate criticisms that can be made about this process of putting policies on hold everywhere for everybody in the nation, they say this is the kind of case where those holds are completely justified and are in fact necessary. These kinds of nationwide injunctions are relatively new. Both Presidents Obama and Biden faced them. Trump, however, has faced a higher number in his presidencies.
What are nationwide injunctions and why do they matter in this case?
Critics of the administration say, well, that's because the Trump administration has been pushing the boundaries much more than other administrations. The number of executive orders, for example, that the president has issued is much more than any of his predecessors. So then they say that there's no mystery then why he's facing more of these injunctions. Grappi says the way the Supreme Court decides to handle this case could impact challenges to other Trump orders. If the Supreme Court says, yeah, we think these national injunctions are a problem and here is when they can or can't be used, that could affect challenges to Trump's policy changes that have already been made and that are likely still to come.
Let's turn now to the growing controversy around President Trump's plan to possibly accept a $400 million gift from Qatar, a luxury jet that he would use as Air Force One. Trump has said he would be, quote, stupid to turn down the plane. But a number of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have said the opposite, like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat.
News of the Qatari government gifting Donald Trump a $400 million private jet to use as Air Force One is so corrupt that even Putin would give a double take. This is not just naked corruption. It is also a grave national security threat.
Schumer has put a hold on all of the president's Justice Department nominees as he seeks more information from the administration. He's also called on Attorney General Pam Bondi, who signed off on Trump's plan, to testify before Congress. Republicans have been outspoken, too. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky called the plan a mistake.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
Who is hosting the episode and what are the main topics?
0:05–0:34
2
What is the Supreme Court case about birthright citizenship?
0:34–1:31
3
What legal questions are at the heart of the Supreme Court case?
1:31–2:57
4
What are nationwide injunctions and why do they matter in this case?
2:57–4:46
5
How could the Supreme Court's decision impact other Trump policies?
4:46–5:36
6
What is the controversy regarding Trump's potential Qatari jet gift?
5:36–6:36
7
What are the political reactions to the Qatari jet gift from both parties?
6:36–9:08
8
What legal rules govern foreign gifts to the president?
9:08–14:15
Speakers
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