Trump Administration Sued Over Day 1 Order to End Birthright Citizenship

A coalition of civil rights and immigration advocacy groups filed a lawsuit against the newly inaugurated Trump administration on Monday, challenging an executive order that seeks to end birthright citizenship in the United States. The legal action marks the beginning of what is expected to be a contentious battle over Trump’s aggressive immigration policies, which he wasted no time in implementing on his first day in office.

The lawsuit, spearheaded by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and supported by various state chapters and other civil rights organizations, argues that the president’s order violates both federal law and the U.S. Constitution. The suit specifically targets Trump’s executive decision to end automatic citizenship for children born on U.S. soil to parents who are either unlawfully in the country or temporarily present.

In the 17-page complaint, the plaintiffs argue that Trump’s order is an unconstitutional overreach, asserting that “the Constitution and Congress, not President Trump, dictate who is entitled to full membership in American society.” The groups representing affected families say the move would strip children of their “priceless treasure” of citizenship and subject them to a lifetime of exclusion and fear of deportation.

“For Plaintiffs—organizations with members impacted by the Order—and for families across the country, this Order seeks to strip from their children the ‘priceless treasure’ of citizenship, threatening them with a lifetime of exclusion from society and fear of deportation from the only country they have ever known,” the groups’ attorneys wrote in the lawsuit.

The order, signed by President Trump on Monday, outlines that the federal government will no longer recognize the citizenship of children born in the U.S. to parents who are in the country unlawfully or who are temporarily present under visas or other temporary status. According to the order, the policy will take effect 30 days after its signing, applying to children born after that period.

The plaintiffs, which include immigrant rights groups and families with members who are expecting children potentially affected by the order, have called on a federal court in New Hampshire to declare the executive order unlawful and issue both a temporary and permanent injunction to block its implementation. They contend that the executive action could render some children stateless or at risk of being legally disinherited from the protections and benefits of U.S. citizenship.

In the complaint, the attorneys argue that the order violates the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment, which guarantees citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil, regardless of the parents’ immigration status. The lawsuit also highlights the potential long-term consequences for children who would lose their citizenship, describing the order as an unlawful attempt to strip them of their rights under the Constitution.

Legal experts predict a long and contentious court battle over the constitutionality of Trump’s directive. While the move to end birthright citizenship has been a long-standing goal of hardline immigration proponents, it faces significant legal hurdles, as the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment has been firmly interpreted by courts to provide automatic citizenship to those born in the U.S.

The Trump administration’s move to challenge established legal precedents regarding birthright citizenship signals its commitment to an aggressive stance on immigration reform. However, this executive order could face significant legal challenges that could delay or prevent its implementation. For now, the fate of birthright citizenship remains uncertain as the lawsuit makes its way through the courts.

The case is likely to shape the future of U.S. immigration policy, as the legal ramifications of ending birthright citizenship could ripple across the broader debate on immigration reform and the rights of undocumented individuals in the United States.