Trump hails 'giant win' as US Supreme Court curbs power of judges to block his executive orders

By Henry Moore

Donald Trump has hailed a "giant win" after the US Supreme Court voted to curb the power of federal juges to block his exective orders.

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Today's vote saw judges decide 6-3 to limit the power of federal judges to grant nationwide injunctions against Trump's executive order restricting birthright citizenship.

Under current rules, the vast majority of people born in US territories gain automatic citizenship rights - known as "birthright citizenship".

However, upon entering the White House for the second time, Trump signed an executive order aimed at ending that right.

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The decision comes after three federal judges in Maryland, Massachusetts and Washington state halted the enforcement of President Trump’s birthright citizenship directive.

In theory, this will grant Donald Trump increased powers to issue executive orders without resistance from the federal courts.

Today's ruling, written by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, claims the ability of federal judges to block Trump's executive orders “likely exceeds the equitable authority that Congress has granted to federal courts”.

The ruling specified that Trump’s order cannot take effect until 30 days after today’s ruling.

Speaking at the White House after the decision, Trump said: "In recent months, we've seen a handful of radical left judges effectively try to overrule the rightful powers of the president... to dictate the law for the entire nation... this was a colossal abuse of power."

"It wasn't meant for people trying to scam the system and come into the country on a vacation. It was meant for the babies of slaves. Hundreds of thousands of people are pouring into our country under birthright citizenship."

While this is a clear victory for Trump, the fate of his attempts to limit birthright citizenship across the US remains unclear.

Judge Amy Coney Barrett added: "When a court concludes that the Executive Branch has acted unlawfully, the answer is not for the court to exceed its power, too.

"The Court today puts an end to the ‘increasingly common’ practice of federal courts issuing universal injunctions."

Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who voted against today's decision, has slammed the move, calling it "nothing less than an open invitation for the government to bypass the Constitution."