Hanson Bridgett Celebrates Landmark Supreme Court Victory for Birthright Citizenship
This decision is a victory not just for the Constitution, but for the families who would have faced devastating uncertainty about their children’s futures. Hanson Bridgett is proud to have stood alongside LatinoJustice PRLDEF and our co-amici in making the case that birthright citizenship is a fundamental right — one that no executive order can erase.”
— Partner & CDEIO Jennifer Martinez
On June 30, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling in Trump v. Barbara, striking down Executive Order 14160 and reaffirming the constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship for children born in the United States — regardless of their parents’ immigration status. Hanson Bridgett is proud to have played a role in this historic outcome, filing an amicus brief on behalf of LatinoJustice PRLDEF and 22 other organizations in support of this fundamental right.
The Case
At issue was President Trump’s Executive Order 14160, signed on January 20, 2025, which sought to deny automatic U.S. citizenship to children born in the United States unless at least one parent was a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident. In a 6-3 decision authored by Chief Justice John Roberts, the Court held that the Fourteenth Amendment’s Citizenship Clause — which grants citizenship to all persons “born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof” — incorporates the longstanding common-law rule of birthright citizenship and cannot be narrowed by executive action. The ruling reaffirmed more than 150 years of precedent, including the Supreme Court’s 1898 decision in United States v. Wong Kim Ark.
The stakes were significant: the executive order would have affected an estimated 260,000 babies born in the United States each year, approximately 80 percent of whom — around 200,000 — would have been Latino.
Hanson Bridgett’s Role
Our pro bono client, LatinoJustice PRLDEF, the national Latino civil rights organization, asked Hanson Bridgett to assist in drafting an amicus brief focused on the order’s disproportionate impact on Latino communities. On behalf of LatinoJustice and 22 co-amici, the firm argued that the executive order violated the fundamental right of birthright citizenship, distorted the text and history of the Citizenship Clause, and would inflict lasting harm on U.S.-born children of Latino immigrants — creating stigma, legal insecurity, and unequal treatment for families across the country.
For the firm, the issue hits close to home. Our attorneys and staff care deeply about the Latino communities in California and beyond — our communities — and are committed to advocating in their support and against any attempts to undermine their constitutional rights and the rule of law.
The effort was led by Partner David Casarrubias-González, whose strategic vision shaped the firm’s approach to the brief and its framing around Latino advocacy and community impact.
A Victory for Families — and for the Constitution
LatinoJustice PRLDEF President and General Counsel Lourdes M. Rosado called the ruling a reaffirmation of rights, noting that the decision “protects millions of families, especially our Latino families, from the devastating consequences that would have followed” — including the creation of a class of stateless children denied the right to vote, educational benefits, healthcare, and socioeconomic opportunity.
Hanson Bridgett’s involvement in Trump v. Barbara reflects the firm’s deep commitment to pro bono service and to the communities it serves. The firm’s appellate and immigration attorneys have a long track record of taking on matters of public significance — particularly those affecting underrepresented communities — and this victory stands as a powerful example of that commitment in action.
