Jayapal Statement on SCOTUS Ruling Narrowing Judicial Power to Issue Nationwide Injunctions

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Immigration, Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, released the following statement regarding today’s Supreme Court decision limiting the power of judges to issue nationwide injunctions. 

“This is a breathtakingly misguided decision from the Supreme Court that will create chaos, irreparable damage, and uneven application of the law across the country. It fundamentally undermines the system of checks and balances in this country by limiting the scope of nationwide injunctions, while also throwing into question whether or not Trump’s unconstitutional Executive Order on birthright citizenship will take effect.

“Our legal system relies on judges and courts holding the Administration accountable when it violates the Constitution. Now, the Supreme Court majority has severely hamstrung federal courts’ ability to stop unconstitutional actions. Instead, we will have a patchwork of rulings that means one person’s constitutional rights may be protected, while another’s are not — depending on their zip code. This ruling is, as Justice Sonia Sotomayor said in her dissenting opinion, an ‘open invitation to bypass the Constitution,’ and as Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said, an ‘existential threat to the rule of law.’ 

“While the Supreme Court did not rule on the specific question of the merits of Trump’s unconstitutional attempts to strip away birthright citizenship, this ruling will now require class action lawsuits to be filed in multiple courts. Let me be clear: birthright citizenship is a constitutional right guaranteed by the 14th Amendment. No matter how hard the Trump Administration tries to undo it with the stroke of a pen, it remains wholly unconstitutional, and we will never give up the fight to rein in this unconstitutional action.”

Issues: Government Reform & Ethics