C-SPAN has asked the Supreme Court for permission to televise next week’s oral argument over President Trump’s move to limit birthright citizenship, saying the case is so important the justices should make an exception to their no-cameras policy.
The April 23 letter was sent to Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and has gone unanswered, the network said.
The case involves Mr. Trump’s executive order instructing federal agencies not to recognize automatic citizenship for children born to illegal immigrant parents or parents here on temporary visas. Lower courts have ruled Mr. Trump acted in defiance of the Constitution and issued nationwide injunctions against his policy.
The Justice Department has defended Mr. Trump’s policy as legal and is asking the Supreme Court to let it take effect in regions of the country that aren’t part of the lawsuits still winding their way through the lower courts.
C-SPAN already carries live audio of Supreme Court cases, but said the weighty issues involved in birthright citizenship deserve cameras.
“This case holds profound national significance. Its implications — legal, political, and personal — will affect millions of Americans. In light of this, we believe the public interest is best served through live television coverage of the proceedings,” the C-SPAN letter reads.
A spokesperson for the Supreme Court didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter.
The justices have sped the case onto their docket, scheduling an unusual May session for oral arguments on Mr. Trump’s policy.
Justices from both the liberal and conservative wings of the court expressed concerns with allowing video of the oral arguments inside the courtroom, though the court has loosened its rules in recent years.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, oral arguments could be heard by only those inside the court, and a transcript would be released later in the day. Audio of the arguments would be posted at the end of the week.
However, when the court shut down due to the pandemic, the justices heard arguments via telephone and broadcast the audio live. Even after the court returned to in-person arguments, it has kept the live audio feed, which is what C-SPAN currently carries.
• Stephen Dinan contributed to this report.
