The U.S. Supreme Court is set to issue two of the most closely watched rulings of President Donald Trump's current term on Tuesday, with decisions expected on birthright citizenship and the legality of state bans on transgender athletes competing in female school sports.
The rulings, scheduled for the court's final day of opinions for its current term, could have significant implications for immigration policy, constitutional interpretation, and civil rights protections across the United States.
The court's conservative 6-3 majority will determine whether key elements of the administration's policies can stand and whether nationwide legal precedents will be reshaped.
One of the cases centers on Trump's executive order directing federal agencies to limit automatic citizenship for children born in the United States whose parents are in the country illegally or on temporary visas.
The dispute focuses on the meaning of the 14th Amendment's citizenship clause and whether its protections extend regardless of a parent's immigration status.
The administration argues the constitutional language excludes children of people who are not permanently or lawfully in the country.
The American Civil Liberties Union and its partners contend the order is unconstitutional and argue the amendment applies based on a person's birth on U.S. soil rather than parental legal status.
During oral arguments in April, several justices appeared skeptical of overturning long-standing legal precedent, though it remains unclear whether the court will issue a broad constitutional ruling or a narrower decision.
The second major ruling concerns challenges to laws in Idaho and West Virginia that require public school and university sports teams to be organized according to biological sex recorded at birth.
The cases were brought by transgender students who argue the laws violate constitutional equal protection guarantees and federal anti-discrimination protections under Title IX.
Lower courts previously sided with the students, while the Trump administration backed the states, which argue the laws protect fairness and safety in women's and girls' sports.
Twenty-five other states have enacted similar measures.
During January arguments, several conservative justices questioned whether a nationwide rule should be imposed amid continuing disagreement over scientific evidence relating to competitive advantages.
The forthcoming decision is expected to clarify how civil rights protections apply to transgender students and could establish a nationwide legal precedent.