Supreme Court hears key case that could impact Trump’s agenda

The Supreme Court heard arguments today in a case that could have major implications for President Donald Trump’s second-term agenda.

(CNN)- The Supreme Court heard arguments today in a case that could have major implications for President Donald Trump’s second-term agenda. At the center of the hearing is not the constitutionality of a specific policy—but the power of individual judges to block federal actions nationwide.

One executive order in question is President Trump’s attempt to end birthright citizenship, a move legal scholars overwhelmingly view as unconstitutional.  CNN Chief Legal Affairs Correspondent Paula Reid explains, “This is going to be really the first big test for the second Trump administration in front of this Supreme Court.”

Rather than focusing on the legality of ending birthright citizenship itself, the justices are weighing whether a single federal judge should have the authority to issue a nationwide—or universal—injunction halting the policy across the country.

“Instead,” Reid said, “it appears that they’re going to weigh in on this question of nationwide injunctions—so whether one judge can block a policy for the entire country.”

Currently, such injunctions are blocking multiple Trump administration policies, including funding freezes, anti-DEI directives, large-scale federal employee layoffs, cuts to health research, and various immigration measures, including the birthright citizenship order.

President Trump argues that district court judges should not have that much influence.
“That really leads to this whole question of venue shopping,” said former U.S. Attorney Michael Moore, “and where you want to bring your case and in front of what judge.”

Democratic attorneys general opposing the administration say now is not the time to limit judicial authority. They claim some of Trump’s policies are illegal and accuse his administration of trying to circumvent certain court orders.

“Maybe there’s been a move or a change on the court,” Moore added, “having seen what has been an attack on the Constitutional rights that we’ve had.”