Ghana Supreme Court upholds removal of former Chief Justice Torkornoo

US Supreme Court upholds birthright citizenship, impacting Ghanaian families

The US Supreme Court has affirmed birthright citizenship in a 5-4 ruling, stating that children born in the United States to parents who are unlawfully or temporarily present are citizens at birth under the US Constitution. This decision, delivered on June 30, 2026, in the case of Trump, President of the United States, et al v. Barbara et al., is significant for immigrant families, including Ghanaians who travel to the US to give birth. The ruling ensures that children born in the country will continue to automatically receive US citizenship, regardless of their parents' immigration status. The case originated from an executive order issued by President Donald Trump on January 20, 2025, which argued that such children were not "subject to the jurisdiction" of the country. A district court had previously blocked enforcement of this order. The Supreme Court emphasized that the Citizenship Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment protects these children, drawing on English common law and rejecting the Dred Scott v. Sandford decision.