South Florida immigrants are concerned over the future of birthright citizenship as the Supreme Court deliberates

A majority of justices on the U.S. Supreme Court appeared open Wednesday to rejecting an executive order by Donald Trump that seeks to limit birthright citizenship.

During oral arguments, several conservative justices questioned the legal foundation and practical enforcement of the policy, which aims to deny citizenship to some children born in the United States to undocumented or temporary immigrant parents. The skepticism extended across ideological lines, with justices raising concerns about how such a policy could be implemented and whether it conflicts with the 14th Amendment, which has long guaranteed citizenship to nearly all individuals born on U.S. soil.

President Trump attended the arguments for about 90 minutes, marking the first time a sitting U.S. president has appeared at Supreme Court oral arguments.

Outside the courtroom, the case is already having an impact — especially in South Florida's immigrant communities. Yelitza Perez, a Venezuelan mother living in the United States, says she has taken extra precautions to protect her daughter's citizenship status. Her 15-month-old daughter, Ixchel, was born in Missouri and is a U.S. citizen.

"It's not right that they take away her citizenship," Perez said in Spanish. She told CBS News Miami that since Trump returned to office, she has made sure to carry her daughter's birth certificate, U.S. passport, and hospital records at all times — reflecting growing anxiety among undocumented parents. "With everything that's happening... we are all worried," she added.

What a local immigration attorney says about immigrants' concerns

Immigration attorney Willie Allen, who has practiced in South Florida for more than four decades, says the concerns may be understandable — but likely misplaced for families whose children are already citizens. "Luckily, it's not retroactive," Allen said. "I don't think there is any concern for someone who already has a child born here."

Allen also pointed to the tone of the hearing, noting that justices raised numerous questions about how the government would enforce such a policy. "How would you regulate it? Who would be in the birth room?" he said, echoing concerns raised during arguments.

According to the Pew Research Center, an estimated 300,000 babies were born in 2023 to parents without legal status in the United States — accounting for less than 1% of the total U.S. population. The Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling by the summer, in what could become one of the most consequential immigration decisions in decades.