The Supreme Court on Friday limited judges' power to issue "universal injunctions," a move that would remove a legal obstacle to President Trump's executive order revoking birthright citizenship.
Lower courts have previously passed such injunctions, completely freezing the implementation of Trump’s executive order on canceling birthright citizenship.
The U.S. Supreme Court voted 6 to 3 to make the above ruling, which means that the Supreme Court with a conservative majority has an ideological divide, paving the way for the Trump administration to unilaterally overturn the long-established civil rights system and other major policies in the United States.
The case focuses on a nationwide injunction issued by three federal district courts in lawsuits challenging Trump’s citizenship order. The injunctions temporarily prevent the executive order from taking effect while the case is pending.
But the Supreme Court ruled on Friday: "A general injunction may well exceed the equitable powers Congress has vested in the federal courts."
While the majority opinion granted the Trump administration’s request to suspend the injunction, it also explicitly limited it: “The injunction may be suspended only if the scope of the injunction exceeds what is necessary to provide complete relief to qualified plaintiffs.”