Roberts Halts Sotomayor’s Barrage in Supreme Court Showdown Over Trump’s Citizenship Order

In a heated Supreme Court session on Thursday, Chief Justice John Roberts stepped in to temper Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s relentless questioning during a pivotal debate over birthright citizenship and nationwide court injunctions. Sotomayor, diving headfirst into the fray, grilled U.S. Solicitor General John Sauer, representing President Donald Trump’s administration, on the legality of Trump’s order to invalidate birthright citizenship. She argued it clashed with four prior Supreme Court rulings, justifying federal judges’ authority to issue injunctions against such bold executive moves.

Sotomayor’s rapid-fire interruptions nearly drowned out Sauer’s responses, prompting Roberts to interject, “Can I hear the rest of his answer?” The exchange underscored tensions in a case that could reshape the judiciary’s role in checking executive power. Sauer countered that the administration doesn’t oppose targeted judicial interventions but rejects universal injunctions, which he called unconstitutional overreaches that strain courts with rushed, high-stakes rulings.

The stakes are monumental. With over 310 federal lawsuits challenging Trump’s second-term actions since January 20, 2025, the Court’s ruling on cases like Trump v. CASA, Trump v. Washington, and Trump v. New Jersey could set a precedent for years to come. A fast-tracked decision, possibly within days, will ripple across the nation’s legal and political landscape.