By The latest supreme court news today confirms what legal observers have said for months: the 2025-2026 Supreme Court term is one of the most consequential in decades. With roughly 22 cases still awaiting decisions as of June 22, 2026, the justices are in their final sprint before the summer recess. From birthright citizenship and voting rights to gun laws and election integrity, the supreme court news today touches nearly every corner of American life.
| The Supreme Court’s next opinion day is Tuesday, June 23, 2026. Decisions on birthright citizenship and transgender athlete bans are expected before the term concludes. |
This article provides a comprehensive breakdown of the most important supreme court news today, covering every major decision and pending case Americans need to know about before the term closes.
Table of Contents
Supreme Court Cases Still Pending: What’s Left to Decide
The table below summarizes the highest-profile cases still pending or recently decided. As of today, the Supreme Court news landscape is dominated by six major issues that could reshape law from the polling booth to the maternity ward.
| Case | Status | Key Issue |
|---|---|---|
| Trump v. Barbara | Decision expected by end of June | Birthright citizenship / 14th Amendment |
| Louisiana v. Callais | Decided April 29, 2026 | Voting Rights Act Section 2 / redistricting |
| US v. Hemani | Decided June 18, 2026 | 2nd Amendment / drug users owning firearms |
| Trump v. Slaughter | Pending | FTC commissioner firing / separation of powers |
| Watson v. RNC | Pending | Mail-in ballot deadlines / election law |
| W. Virginia v. B.P.J. | Pending | Transgender athletes / Title IX |
Birthright Citizenship: Trump v. Barbara Heads for a Historic Ruling
The most anticipated piece of supreme court news today remains the forthcoming decision in Trump v. Barbara, the case that will determine whether President Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship is constitutional.
On January 20, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14160, directing federal agencies to stop recognizing U.S. citizenship for children born on American soil if their parents are undocumented or present only on temporary visas. The order was immediately blocked by lower courts across the country, and the case was eventually accepted for Supreme Court review.
What Happened at Oral Arguments
Oral arguments took place on April 1, 2026, and the supreme court news today from that session was striking: the Trump administration’s position received skeptical questioning from justices across the ideological spectrum. Solicitor General D. John Sauer argued that the 14th Amendment’s citizenship clause was intended only to grant citizenship to formerly enslaved people and their descendants, not to children of temporary visa holders or undocumented immigrants.
Chief Justice John Roberts characterized Sauer’s historical examples as “quirky” and reminded the government that while immigration may be “a new world,” the country still has “the same Constitution.” Justice Brett Kavanaugh called birthright citizenship “a policy matter” for Congress, not courts. Justice Neil Gorsuch noted that the concept of “domicile” central to the government’s theory was rarely discussed in congressional debates around the 14th Amendment.
| “It’s a new world, [but] it’s the same Constitution.” – Chief Justice John Roberts, oral arguments in Trump v. Barbara, April 1, 2026 |
The Trump administration’s core argument rests on an interpretation of the phrase “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” in the Citizenship Clause. The government contends that children are only “subject to jurisdiction” if their parents are lawfully domiciled in the United States permanently. Legal challengers, represented by ACLU national legal director Cecillia Wang, countered that the 14th Amendment establishes a “fixed bright-line rule” of birthright citizenship that has been the law since 1868 and was confirmed by the Supreme Court itself in United States v. Wong Kim Ark in 1898.
If the Trump administration loses, as most legal analysts predict based on the oral arguments, birthright citizenship will remain intact for all persons born on U.S. soil regardless of parental immigration status. If the government wins, hundreds of thousands of children born annually in the United States to undocumented parents or temporary visa holders would no longer automatically receive citizenship at birth.
A decision in the birthright citizenship case is expected before the end of June 2026 or in early July, making it among the most-watched supreme court news items in years.
Voting Rights Gutted: Louisiana v. Callais Reshapes American Democracy
Perhaps the most consequential supreme court news of the term so far came on April 29, 2026, when the Court issued its 6-3 decision in Louisiana v. Callais. In an opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito, the conservative majority effectively gutted Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, one of the most important civil rights statutes in American history.
What the Court Decided
The case arose from Louisiana’s congressional redistricting following the 2020 census. After years of litigation under Section 2 of the VRA, Louisiana was required to draw a second majority-Black district, which it did in 2024, resulting in the historic election of two Black Louisianians to Congress for the first time.
A group of self-described “non-African American” voters then challenged the new map as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. The Supreme Court agreed in its Callais ruling, but went further than simply resolving Louisiana’s map. The majority opinion significantly raised the evidentiary burden for proving racial discrimination in redistricting, holding that Section 2 of the VRA only imposes liability “when the circumstances give rise to a strong inference that intentional discrimination occurred.”
In her dissent, joined by Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson, Justice Elena Kagan declared that the ruling rendered Section 2 “all but a dead letter.” Civil rights organizations called the decision “a devastating blow to critical civil rights protections.”
The Aftermath: Redistricting Chaos
In the weeks following the supreme court news from the Callais ruling, multiple Southern states moved immediately to redraw their congressional maps. Tennessee Republicans drew and passed a new map eliminating the state’s sole majority-minority House district. Florida passed a redistricting bill the same day as the ruling. Alabama, which had been operating under maps drawn by a federal court-appointed special master, filed an emergency motion asking the Supreme Court to reinstate its legislature-drawn maps.
The Supreme Court granted Alabama’s request in early June 2026, allowing the state to use a map that a lower court had found to be racially discriminatory. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the lone dissenter, wrote that the post-Callais environment “has spawned chaos in the State of Louisiana” and across the South.
| Key takeaway: The Callais decision does not eliminate Section 2 of the VRA entirely, but it makes it far harder for minority voters to prove racial discrimination in redistricting by requiring proof of intentional discrimination rather than disparate impact. |
Supreme Court Gun Ruling: US v. Hemani Decided Unanimously
In a unanimous decision on June 18, 2026, the Supreme Court issued a significant piece of gun-law supreme court news when it ruled in United States v. Hemani that prosecuting a marijuana user for possessing a firearm is inconsistent with the Second Amendment.
The case involved Ali Hemani, whose home was searched by federal agents in 2022. Agents found a pistol and 60 grams of marijuana. Hemani told agents he used marijuana roughly every other day. He was subsequently convicted under 18 U.S.C. Section 922(g)(3), a federal law making it a felony for an “unlawful user” of a controlled substance to possess a firearm. This is the same statute used to convict Hunter Biden in 2024.
Writing for a unanimous Court, Justice Neil Gorsuch emphasized that the decision was “narrow,” noting it does not address efforts to disarm people who are currently intoxicated or those Congress may determine pose a special firearms risk. The ruling specifically addressed the constitutional application of the law to habitual marijuana users who are not currently intoxicated.
Legal observers noted the ruling is consistent with the Court’s landmark 2022 decision in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, which required gun laws to be grounded in the historical tradition of firearms regulation at the time of the nation’s founding.
Other Supreme Court News Today: What’s Still Coming
Transgender Athletes: West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox
Among the most socially charged supreme court news items still pending are two cases challenging state laws that prohibit transgender women and girls from competing on female sports teams in public schools. In West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox, the justices must decide whether such state bans violate Title IX, the federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in schools that receive federal funding. The ruling will have implications for every state with similar laws currently on the books.
Mail-In Ballot Deadline: Watson v. Republican National Committee
Another consequential piece of upcoming supreme court news concerns election administration. In Watson v. Republican National Committee, the Court is examining whether a Mississippi rule allowing mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day but received within five business days afterward is permissible. With the 2026 midterm elections approaching, a ruling limiting ballot receipt windows could significantly affect voter participation nationwide.
FTC Commissioner Firing: Trump v. Slaughter
In Trump v. Slaughter, the Court is considering whether President Trump had the authority to fire Democratic FTC Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter before her term expired. The case raises fundamental separation of powers questions about presidential authority over independent federal agencies.
What Supreme Court News Today Means for Everyday Americans
For many Americans, supreme court news today can seem distant from daily life. But the cases before the justices this term have immediate, concrete consequences across the country.
If the Supreme Court strikes down Trump’s executive order in Trump v. Barbara, the roughly 300,000 to 400,000 children born annually in the United States to undocumented immigrants or temporary visa holders will continue to receive automatic citizenship at birth. Medicaid coverage for newborns, hospital billing systems, and state vital records offices all function on the assumption of birthright citizenship and have no current infrastructure to deny it.
The Callais decision on voting rights is already reshaping the congressional map in time for the 2026 midterm elections. If several Southern states succeed in eliminating majority-minority districts, the composition of the United States House of Representatives could shift, affecting federal legislation for years.
The Hemani gun ruling, though narrow, signals that the Court will continue applying the Bruen historical-tradition test to Second Amendment cases, potentially limiting other federal firearms restrictions in future terms.
| Bottom line: The supreme court news today is not just for lawyers. Every pending decision touches health care, voting, gun rights, immigration, and the balance of power in Washington. |
Timeline: Supreme Court News Today at a Glance
| Date | Supreme Court News Event |
|---|---|
| Jan. 20, 2025 | Trump signs Executive Order 14160 ending birthright citizenship; courts immediately block it. |
| Apr. 1, 2026 | Oral arguments in Trump v. Barbara; justices signal skepticism toward the administration’s position. |
| Apr. 29, 2026 | Supreme Court decides Louisiana v. Callais 6-3, gutting Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. |
| May – June 2026 | Multiple Southern states redraw congressional maps following the Callais ruling; Alabama emergency motion granted. |
| June 18, 2026 | Unanimous ruling in US v. Hemani: prosecuting a marijuana user for gun possession violates 2nd Amendment. |
| June 23, 2026 | Next Supreme Court opinion day. Decisions in birthright citizenship, transgender athletes, and election cases expected. |
| Late June / Early July 2026 | Term expected to conclude. All remaining decisions, including Trump v. Barbara, to be issued. |
Conclusion: Why Supreme Court News Today Matters More Than Ever
The supreme court news today reflects a Court at the center of American political and constitutional life in ways rarely seen. In a single term, the justices have potentially redrawn the boundaries of citizenship under the 14th Amendment, limited the most powerful voting rights tool Congress ever passed, and unanimously narrowed the federal government’s ability to disarm marijuana users under the Second Amendment.
With at least 22 cases still undecided as of June 22, 2026, and the next opinion day set for tomorrow, Americans can expect more landmark supreme court news in the days ahead. The Legal Briefs will continue updating this article as decisions are issued throughout the final weeks of the 2025-2026 term.
Bookmark this page for the latest supreme court news today, and check back as rulings are handed down before the summer recess.
Frequently Asked Questions: Supreme Court News Today
What is supreme court news today?
As of June 22, 2026, the Supreme Court is issuing final opinions of its term, with major decisions on birthright citizenship and transgender athlete bans expected by early July.
What did the Supreme Court decide about birthright citizenship?
The Court has not yet issued its decision in Trump v. Barbara. Oral arguments in April 2026 showed significant skepticism from justices across the spectrum about the Trump administration’s executive order.
What did the Supreme Court do to the Voting Rights Act in 2026?
In Louisiana v. Callais (April 29, 2026), the Court issued a 6-3 ruling that significantly raised the bar for proving racial discrimination under Section 2 of the VRA, with dissenters calling the provision “all but a dead letter.”
What was the Supreme Court’s gun ruling on June 18, 2026?
In US v. Hemani, a unanimous Court held that prosecuting a marijuana user for possessing a firearm violated the Second Amendment, applying the same law used to convict Hunter Biden.
When does the Supreme Court term end?
The Court typically ends its term by late June or early July. The next opinion day is Tuesday, June 23, 2026.
How many cases does the Supreme Court still have to decide?
As of June 18, 2026, approximately 22 cases remain undecided out of 58 argued this term. The most consequential ones involve birthright citizenship, transgender sports bans, and election law.
