Supreme Court poised to make major decision that could set limits on the power of district judges

The Supreme Court has agreed to examine the Trump administration’s challenge to judges issuing nationwide injunctions, setting a date for a case that could have a major impact on the president’s ability to carry out his agenda as well as on the entire country.  

This comes after three federal judges issued separate nationwide injunctions blocking an executive order by President Donald Trump ending birthright citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants. 

On Thursday, the court consolidated the three cases into one and set oral arguments to examine the fundamental question of whether district judges can issue rulings that affect the entire country. 

The court will hear oral arguments for the case at 10 a.m. on May 15, which is about two weeks after the court normally stops hearing oral arguments ahead of its recess, which begins in July.

SUPREME COURT TO HEAR ORAL ARGUMENTS IN BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP CASE

Nationwide injunctions are court orders that prevent the federal government from implementing a policy or law that has a cascading effect impacting the entire country, not just the parties involved in the court case. 

Since Trump’s return to the Oval Office in January, his administration has faced hundreds of lawsuits targeting his executive orders and actions, some of which have resulted in nationwide injunctions, stalling key portions of his agenda, including immigration enforcement. 

NEARLY 2 DOZEN STATES SUE TRUMP ADMIN OVER BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP ORDER: ‘UNPRECEDENTED’

In March the Trump administration filed an emergency appeal asking the Supreme Court to narrow three injunctions that were issued to halt Trump’s nullification of birthright citizenship. The emergency appeal requested the injunction only cover individuals directly impacted by the relevant courts. 

The administration’s acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris argued in the emergency appeal that nationwide injunctions have hit “epidemic proportions” under the second Trump administration, noting that the federal government faced 14 universal injunctions in the first three years of the Biden administration compared to 15 leveled against the Trump admin in one month alone. 

Beyond impacting the question of birthright citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants, the court’s ultimate decision will likely have the even larger impact of finally answering the limits of federal judges’ power to decide questions of national and international policy. 

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton and Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report.