In a significant 6-3 ruling along ideological lines, the Supreme Court on Friday allowed President Trump’s executive order restricting birthright citizenship to take effect in certain parts of the country. The high court’s decision curtails the ability of lower federal judges to issue nationwide injunctions, a legal tool frequently used by plaintiffs to broadly block presidential policies.

The ruling found that three federal district judges overstepped their authority by issuing injunctions that applied across the entire nation against President Trump’s order. While the Supreme Court’s decision empowers the administration to enforce the order more widely, it does not definitively rule on the constitutionality of the birthright citizenship restrictions themselves. That fundamental legal question could still return to the justices for a final determination.

For the time being, the lower court rulings have been narrowed. President Trump’s order is now only blocked in the 22 Democratic-led states, and as applied to the expectant mothers and immigration organizations directly involved in the lawsuits.

President Trump’s executive order, signed on his first day in office, significantly alters the conventional understanding of the 14th Amendment’s Citizenship Clause. This clause has long been interpreted to grant citizenship to nearly all children born on U.S. soil, with very few exceptions. The order specifically curbs birthright citizenship for children born in the United States if at least one parent does not hold permanent legal status.

This ruling represents a major procedural victory for the Trump administration, enabling the partial implementation of a key policy initiative while the larger constitutional debate over birthright citizenship continues to unfold.