Trump v. Barbara · ¶490

That was the state of the Court’s case law until Wong Kim Ark turned it in a different direction. That case provides the strongest support for today’s decision, but its holding is not controlling, and I would not allow the meaning of American citizenship to be forever dictated by the opinion’s dubious dicta. Wong Kim Ark cautioned against assigning too much weight to dicta, 169 U. S., at 679, and it is appropriate to apply that same advice to the opinion in Wong Kim Ark itself.

slip opinion, revised 7/01/26
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