Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett just delivered Donald Trump one of the most powerful legal victories of his second presidency — and maybe the most dangerous for American democracy.
In a 6-3 ruling on Friday, the conservative majority stripped federal judges of their ability to block Trump’s executive orders nationwide, a critical check that has been used to stop some of his most extreme actions. Now, lower courts can’t halt his policies across the country — even if they appear unconstitutional.
This isn’t just a win for Trump. It’s a shift in power. The Supreme Court has given the president more freedom to act without fear of immediate legal limits — a move that Justice Sonia Sotomayor warned will “kneecap the judiciary’s authority” and expose Americans to unchecked presidential power.
“No right is safe in the new legal regime the Court creates,” Sotomayor said from the bench.
The decision came in Trump v. CASA, a case stemming from Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to undocumented immigrants or foreign nationals on temporary visas. Lower courts blocked the order. Trump appealed to the Supreme Court — not to defend the policy itself, but to stop judges from blocking it nationwide.
Barrett, the most junior member of the conservative bloc, was chosen by Roberts to write the majority opinion — a striking show of unity between the two justices.
Barrett claimed the courts were overstepping by issuing sweeping injunctions against Trump’s policies. “Federal courts do not exercise general oversight of the Executive Branch,” she wrote. “When a court concludes that the Executive Branch has acted unlawfully, the answer is not for the court to exceed its power, too.”
In plain terms: even if the president breaks the law, courts can now only rule narrowly — not stop the policy nationwide.
Barrett’s tone was cool and measured. But the consequences of the ruling were not. It means presidents, especially one like Trump, can push extreme policies with fewer legal roadblocks — and more time to enforce them before anyone can stop him.
Sotomayor’s Dissent Was a Warning Shot
Justice Sotomayor didn’t hold back. She delivered a rare oral dissent — a sign of deep alarm — and spoke for 20 minutes.
She invoked Dred Scott, the infamous 1857 case that denied citizenship to Black Americans, and reminded the Court that birthright citizenship is grounded in the 14th Amendment. She made clear that Friday’s decision isn’t just a legal technicality — it’s a green light for a president to test the limits of his power.
“This Court,” Sotomayor said, “further erodes respect for courts and for the rule of law.”
Her warning echoed through the chamber, but the conservative justices didn’t flinch.
This is just the latest in a string of wins for Trump at the Supreme Court.
Last week, the same 6-3 majority upheld state bans on gender-affirming care for trans youth. On Friday, they ruled in favor of religious parents who want to block LGBTQ books from public schools. And last year, the Court gave Trump broad immunity from prosecution for official acts as president.
Lower courts have been more skeptical, blocking dozens of Trump’s executive orders and warning of presidential overreach. One district judge wrote bluntly, “An American President is not a king.”
But the Supreme Court is making him one in all but name.
Roberts and Barrett gave Trump exactly what he wanted. He noticed — and he celebrated.
“I just have great respect for her,” he said of Barrett after the ruling. “Her decision was brilliantly written today – from all accounts.” He also thanked Roberts, Alito, Thomas, Gorsuch, and Kavanaugh by name, calling them “great people.”
It’s a dramatic turn from a few years ago. Roberts once publicly rebuked Trump for attacking judges. Barrett once questioned whether Trump would even follow court rulings.
But now, both justices are at the center of a court that has consistently backed Trump’s agenda, even as it grows more authoritarian.
This ruling doesn’t just affect one policy. It changes how — and whether — courts can restrain a president at all.
Instead of courts being able to block dangerous policies nationwide before they’re enforced, they now must wait. That gives a president like Trump more time to act, more room to defy, and more power to impose his will — even as lawsuits pile up.
The result? A Supreme Court that once claimed to check executive power has now expanded it.
And two justices who once questioned Trump’s threats to the rule of law just handed him the tools to test its limits — or break them entirely.
