President Donald Trump’s bid to chop off birthright citizenship is a “flagrantly illegal try to strip lots of of 1000’s American-born youngsters of their citizenship primarily based on their parentage,” attorneys for 15 states and the town of San Francisco stated Tuesday in a lawsuit difficult the president’s executive order signed simply hours after he was sworn in Monday.
The lawsuit accused Trump of in search of remove a “well-established and longstanding Constitutional precept” by government fiat.
“The President has no authority to rewrite or nullify a constitutional modification or duly enacted statute. Neither is he empowered by every other supply of legislation to restrict who receives United States citizenship at start,” the lawsuit stated.
Trump’s order directed federal businesses — beginning subsequent month — to cease issuing citizenship paperwork to U.S.-born youngsters of undocumented moms or moms within the nation on short-term visas, if the daddy shouldn’t be a U.S. citizen or everlasting resident.
In response to the lawsuit, about 150,000 youngsters born every year to 2 dad and mom who had been noncitizens and lacked authorized standing may lose entry to fundamental well being care, foster care, and early interventions for infants, toddlers, and college students with disabilities.
“They may all be deportable, and plenty of might be stateless,” the lawsuit stated.
The states warned the manager order would additionally trigger them to lose federal funding for packages that render providers to youngsters no matter their immigration standing.
Whereas Trump’s order purports to unilaterally finish birthright citizenship, solely the U.S. Supreme Court docket can decide how the 14th Modification applies.
President Donald Trump subsequent to Vice President J.D. Vance and First Woman Melania Trump, provides two thumb’s up throughout the inaugural parade inside Capital One Area, in Washington, D.C., Jan. 20, 2025.
Jim Watson/AFP through Getty Pictures
“President Trump’s try to unilaterally finish birthright citizenship is a flagrant violation of our Structure,” stated New Jersey Legal professional Normal Matthew Platkin. “For greater than 150 years, our nation has adopted the identical fundamental rule: infants who’re born on this nation are Americans.
The states are in search of to invalidate the manager order and cease any actions taken to implement it. Their lawsuit requests a preliminary injunction to instantly stop the order from taking impact.
“The good promise of our nation is that everybody born here’s a citizen of the USA, in a position to obtain the American dream,” stated New York Legal professional Normal Letitia James. “This elementary proper to birthright citizenship, rooted within the 14th Modification and born from the ashes of slavery, is a cornerstone of our nation’s dedication to justice.”
On Tuesday, nonprofit teams in Massachusetts and New Hampshire additionally filed federal lawsuits difficult Trump’s birthright citizenship government order.
