CHICAGO (WLS) — In a landmark day for Chicago residents, two pivotal rulings from the United States Supreme Court sparked a mix of jubilation and disappointment. President Donald Trump experienced both a triumph and a defeat in this legal arena.
In a decisive 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court reinforced birthright citizenship, dismissing President Trump’s executive order that aimed to deny citizenship to children born on U.S. soil to undocumented parents. Simultaneously, in another 6-3 vote, the court permitted states to forbid transgender female athletes from joining girls’ and women’s sports teams.
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For Jocelyn Aranda Ortiz, who was born in America to an undocumented mother, the decision to uphold citizenship was a source of immense relief.
“She always tells me that I have the luxury of opportunities—where I don’t need to search for an entry point; the doors are already open to me,” Aranda Ortiz shared.
Embracing these opportunities, Aranda Ortiz has successfully attained both bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Currently, she dedicates her efforts to helping other immigrants through her role at the Resurrection Project.
Legal advocates say the court’s decision reinforces a long-standing constitutional principle grounded in the 14th Amendment.
“The court’s ruling today said that the Constitution not the President decides who’s a citizen of the United States,” said Colleen Connell, executive director of the ACLU of Illinois.
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Connell noted that birthright citizenship has deep historical roots that predate the 14th Amendment, though the amendment formally codified the practice. She and other experts expressed surprise that three justices dissented in the ruling.
Despite the decision, Aranda Ortiz said concerns about future challenges remain.
“It’s absolutely scary that we have to live in a world where we have to keep watching our back,” she said.
On CNN Illinois Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said it should never have gotten this far.
“We have seen a lot of this from Donald Trump, as you know, issuing executive orders or making pronouncements that he thinks he can change the law on is own and do things that are illegal because he just says them… So, this is just another example,” Pritzker said.
Trump criticized the ruling on birthright citizenship, calling it “too bad,” but praised the court’s decision allowing states to restrict transgender athletes’ participation in girls’ and women’s sports.
That ruling disappointed Patti Flynn, a Chicago-area transgender athlete who competes in track, cycling and triathlons.
“Believe it or not, merely being trans doesn’t make one good at sport I can attest to that. I am a mediocre athlete,” Flynn said.
The decision does not affect Illinois, which has protections in place for transgender students and athletes. However, Flynn said the ruling could still have consequences in club sports and adult leagues, where she said exclusion has already occurred.
“You know, it happened a couple weeks right before my season started, and I just, I lost touch with my community at a time when I really needed it the most,” Flynn said.
Flynn said participation in sports is about more than competition, emphasizing discipline and the relationships built through athletics.
Meanwhile, the path for ending birthright citizenship would require a constitutional amendment, a process widely considered unlikely.
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