The 14th Amendment survived today — by a slim margin.

The Supreme Court upheld birthright citizenship in a 6-3 ruling — in some important ways, a 5-4 ruling — a rare act of defiance against President Donald Trump. The Court’s refusal to upend over 100 years of precedent on the president’s racist whim should be cause for celebration. But the real story is how frighteningly close this court came to ending America as we know it.

HuffPost stated plainly weeks ago what others are still too afraid to say: The Supreme Court is illegitimate. Its series of cruel, thoughtless decisions — from handing Trump full power of the executive branch to stripping nearly 400,000 people of temporary protected status — have only confirmed that.

SUPPORT HUFFPOST

When the highest court in the nation comes this close to fracturing the Constitution, we cannot afford to look away or sugarcoat the truth. While other outlets celebrate a narrow escape, HuffPost will continue to call out judicial overreach and report aggressively on the forces targeting our fundamental rights.

As HuffPost’s Paul Blumenthal breaks down in his story An Out-Of-Control Supreme Court Nearly Killed Birthright Citizenship, Tuesday’s ruling isn’t a sign that the system is working. It’s an urgent warning sign that the system is on life support.

This is why we don’t stay silent. Join HuffPost now.

The news is free. Democracy is not.

By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.