Birthright Citizenship and Pregnant Immigrant Women: Ensuring Access to Citizenship After Trump v. Barbara

On June 30, 2026, the US Supreme Court decided Trump v. Barbara, reaffirming the Constitution’s guarantee of full and equal citizenship for all children born in the US, irrespective of their parents’ immigration status. The decision was unequivocal; however, meaningful access to citizenship is embedded within a landscape of policies and practices that impact how immigrant parents can secure rights for their children. This includes parents’ ability to obtain vital documents such as birth certificates and passports for their US citizen newborns.

In this issue brief, WRC has documented some of the barriers that pregnant immigrant women, both in immigration custody and in the community, face in securing full US citizenship for their children. We also identify necessary steps that state and federal policymakers can take to reduce these barriers and promote equal access to citizenship for all babies born in the US.