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22 states file lawsuit to block US President Donald Trump’s move to end birthright citizenship
Donald Trump's order denies automatic citizenship to individuals whose mothers were in the US illegally, or whose fathers were not US citizens
Attorneys general from 22 states filed a lawsuit on Tuesday to prevent President Donald Trump from ending the decades-old birthright citizenship policy, which guarantees US-born children citizenship regardless of their parents’ immigration status.
Trump's executive order, issued late Monday and spanning roughly 700 words, fulfills a campaign promise. However, its outcome is uncertain, with a lengthy legal battle over immigration policies expected.
The Democratic attorneys general and immigrant rights advocates say the question of birthright citizenship is settled law and that while presidents have broad authority, they are not kings.
“The president cannot, with a stroke of a pen, write the 14th Amendment out of existence, period,” New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin said.
The White House said it's ready to face the states in court and called the lawsuits “nothing more than an extension of the Left's resistance."
A look at birthright citizenship, Donald Trump’s order, and the reaction:
What is birthright citizenship?
Birthright citizenship grants US citizenship to anyone born on American soil, regardless of their parents' immigration status. This means, for example, that children born to parents on a tourist visa or those in the country illegally can still be considered US citizens.
This practice has been in place for decades and is protected by the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, according to supporters. However, Trump and his allies challenge this interpretation, arguing that stricter requirements for citizenship are necessary.
What does Trump's order say?
The order challenges the automatic grant of citizenship under the 14th Amendment to anyone born in the US.
Ratified in 1868 after the Civil War, the 14th Amendment states: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”
Trump's order denies automatic citizenship to individuals whose mothers were in the US illegally, or whose fathers were not US citizens or lawful permanent residents. It also excludes children born to mothers in the US temporarily, with non-citizen fathers. The order prevents federal agencies from recognizing citizenship for people in these categories and will take effect on February 19, 30 days after Tuesday.
What has been the response to Trump’s order?
Eighteen states, along with the District of Columbia and San Francisco, filed a lawsuit in federal court to block Trump’s order.
New Jersey Democratic Attorney General Matt Platkin said on Tuesday that while presidents have broad powers, they are not kings. “The president cannot, with a stroke of a pen, erase the 14th Amendment,” he said.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, the first Chinese American to hold the position and a US citizen by birthright, stated that the lawsuit was personal for him.
Along with New Jersey and the two cities, California, Massachusetts, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin also joined the lawsuit to block the order.
With AP inputs
