C-SPAN asked Chief Justice John Roberts to allow video cameras for oral arguments at the Supreme Court on a case centering around birthright citizenship in a letter released Wednesday.
A special oral argument session focusing on the practice of nationwide injunctions blocking an executive order President Donald Trump issued when he took office is slated to take place May 15, according to Politico. The letter, dated April 23, requested Roberts go beyond the high court’s practice of broadcasting the audio of oral arguments, which began during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. (RELATED: ‘This Is Truly Insane’: Jonathan Turley Delivers Brutal Assessment Of Blue-State AG’s Latest Anti-Trump Suit)
C-SPAN Request to Chief Justice Roberts to Televise Birthright Citizenship U.S. Supreme Court Oral Argument https://t.co/yd8PMURXkF #SCOTUS pic.twitter.com/XoWqODHDpp
— CSPAN (@cspan) May 7, 2025
“This case holds profound national significance. Its implications-legal, political, and personal-will affect millions of Americans,” CSPAN CEO Sam Feist wrote in the letter. “In light of this, we believe the public interest is best served through live television coverage of the proceedings. The public deserves to witness-fully and directly-how such a consequential issue is argued before the highest court in the land.”
“We commend your leadership in expanding public access to the Court,” Feist continued. Since your decision to allow real-time audio access to oral arguments in 2020, C-SPAN has provided access to every case, often televising them live on our television networks, but with still images of the Justice or counselor speaking. Allowing live video coverage of this case would build on that progress, offering Americans outside the few seated inside the Court, the ability to also see how critical issues are debated and decided at the highest level.”
While Associate Justices Elena Kagan and Samuel Alito expressed openness to the idea of cameras at the Supreme Court, Federal courtrooms do not generally allow cameras in the courtrooms, according to FindLaw. In a 2018 interview on C-SPAN, Roberts said that while cameras could help educate Americans about the high court, it was not the job of the Supreme Court to educate Americans.
“Our job is to carry out our role under the Constitution to interpret the Constitution and laws according to the rule of law and I think that having cameras in the courtroom would impede that process,” Roberts said. “We think the process works pretty well. I think if there were cameras that the lawyers would act differently. I think, frankly, some of my colleagues would act differently and that would affect what we think is a very important and well-functioning part of the decision process.”
After Trump issued the executive order tightening the grounds on which citizenship would be granted to those born in the United States, it faced multiple legal challenges from the ACLU and states carried by Vice President Kamala Harris in the Nov. 5, 2024, general election.
“We stand ready to work with the Court to ensure that this broadcast is conducted with the dignity and respect befitting the occasion,” Feist wrote to Roberts.
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