Trump v. Barbara

Trump v. Barbara is a SCOTUS in the Classroom case. It will be argued on April 1, 2026.

In this case, the Supreme Court will consider whether President Donald Trump’s Citizenship Order ending birthright citizenship (Executive Order No. 14160) violates the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment. The decision will have widespread impact on children born in the United States to parents who are not U.S. citizens.

Each term Street Law selects the most classroom-relevant, student-friendly cases as our SCOTUS in the Classroom cases. Teachers are encouraged to conduct moot courts the same week the case is argued, giving students the opportunity to follow discussion and analysis in the news and listen to or read a transcript of the actual oral arguments.

Note: This case involves citizenship status, an issue that may directly affect some students in your classroom. We encourage teachers to review the case summary carefully and consider whether participating in a moot on this topic could be upsetting for your students. If you feel a moot court may not be an appropriate strategy for your students, please choose an alternative case study activity (The Classifying Arguments Activity is available in Downloads.)

Case Issue:

Does the Citizenship Order (Executive Order No. 14160) violate the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment?

Case Briefs:

• Brief of Petitioner: Trump
• Brief of Respondent: Barbara

Oral Argument:

• Audio recording and transcript of the oral argument from the Supreme Court (to be posted after oral argument)

Decision:

• Link to the opinion of the Court (to be posted after the decision is announced)

News Articles:

• Bloomberg Law by Justin Wise and Jordan Fischer, “Birthright Citizenship Tops Supreme Court Cases to Watch in 2026,” (January 2, 2026) 
• New York Times by Abbie VanSickle, “Supreme Court Agrees to Review Trump Order Restricting Birthright Citizenship,” (December 5, 2025) 
• SCOTUSblog by Amy Howe, “Supreme Court will hear birthright citizenship case on April 1,” (January 30, 2026) 
• The Wall Street Journal by Lydia Wheeler, “Supreme Court to Decide if Trump Birthright Citizenship Order is Constitutional,” (January 30, 2026) 

Other Resources:

• National Constitution Center, “United States v. Wong Kim Ark (1898).“

How to Conduct a Moot Court or a Mini-Moot Court: 

• Classroom Guide to Moot Courts 
• Mini-Moot Court Demonstration Video