A fierce legal showdown has erupted as 22 states, alongside Washington D.C. and civil rights groups, filed lawsuits to challenge President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting birthright citizenship. The sweeping directive, signed a day after Trump’s inauguration, seeks to deny U.S. citizenship to children born on American soil if neither parent is a citizen or legal resident.
The lawsuits, filed in federal courts across Boston, Seattle, and Maryland, contend the executive order violates the 14th Amendment’s Citizenship Clause. This clause, rooted in an 1898 Supreme Court precedent, guarantees citizenship to anyone born in the United States.
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell decried the move as an unconstitutional overreach, stating, “The president lacks the power to strip away fundamental rights.” The lawsuits warn of dire consequences for over 150,000 children born annually who could be denied access to federal benefits, lawful employment, and voting rights under the new rule.
Civil rights advocates and immigrant organizations joined the battle, emphasizing the profound impact on vulnerable communities. “This is about protecting the very core of what it means to be an American,” said representatives from La Colaborativa and Lawyers for Civil Rights during a press conference.
Legal challenges span multiple jurisdictions, with hearings already scheduled to address the controversial order. The stakes are high, and the legal clash marks the first major test of Trump’s aggressive immigration agenda.
As the courtroom drama unfolds, opponents signal their readiness to challenge every facet of Trump’s executive actions, setting the stage for a turbulent start to his administration.
