Springsteen's 'Born in the U.S.A.' joins Trump citizenship court fight

Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY Tue, March 24, 2026 at 4:58 PM UTC

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The Boss is lending his voice to the American Civil Liberties Union in the name of birthright citizenship.

A week before the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to hear arguments in Trump v. Barbara, the landmark birthright-citizenship case, the ACLU has shared a one-minute video set to Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A." The video, released Monday, March 23, features Americans of a variety of cultural backgrounds.

"We're honored that the one and only Bruce Springsteen trusted us with use of his iconic anthem ahead of our landmark Supreme Court case Trump v. Barbara, where we're challenging President Trump's attempt to take away the constitutional right to birthright citizenship," the ACLU captioned the video.

The nonprofit said they purchased airtime for the video during "MLB Opening Day," "Survivor," "American Idol" and other programs.

The Supreme Court will decide if President Donald Trump can end birthright citizenship for some children born in the U.S., after a controversial January 2025 executive order. The high court agreed to review a lower court's rejection of Trump's argument that children of parents who are in the country illegally or temporarily are not entitled to citizenship.

The president's interpretation of a 19th-century constitutional provision would fundamentally alter how the citizenship clause has long been understood.

The case originated as a class-action lawsuit filed by the ACLU and other organizations on behalf of affected children and parents to challenge Trump's executive order. The Supreme Court will begin to hear arguments on April 1.

Anthony D. Romero, the executive director of the ACLU, told Rolling Stone in a March 23 interview that Springsteen's 1984 hit was "the perfect song to capture what's at stake."

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"It's a song that tells the story of a Vietnam veteran returning home to an America he knew was neglecting its people," he said. "The song calls on our nation to live up to its ideals. And when you listen to it, it makes you feel proud to be an American. Decades later, the song still reflects the struggle to hold onto the things that make us proud to be Americans today."

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As for pitching the idea to Springsteen's people, Romero said – given the Boss' outspoken history, including against Trump and his administration's handling of ICE protests in Minneapolis as of late – that "everyone knew where Bruce Springsteen stood and understood the gravity of the moment."

USA TODAY has reached out to Springsteen's reps for comment.

Springsteen previously rejected Trump's use of "Born in the U.S.A." at rallies during his initial presidential campaign in 2016.

"Bruce Springsteen was speaking truth to power when the titans of industry were caving and sniveling," he said of the "Streets of Minneapolis" singer. "Bruce Springsteen was standing up to the president, while universities and law firms were being cudgeled and cowed. I knew Bruce Springsteen was becoming increasingly agitated and that he was ready to fight back just like we were."

Multiple federal courts have reviewed Trump's birthright citizenship policy, and all found it illegal. In the Justice Department's appeal, Solicitor General John Sauer wrote that the lower court's decisions "undermines our border security," adding: "Those decisions confer, without lawful justification, the privilege of American citizenship on hundreds of thousands of unqualified people."

Contributing: Maureen Groppe, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Springsteen song used in ACLU citizenship ad, Trump policy fight

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