22 states oppose Trump’s executive order that limits birthright citizenship

By Oliver

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22 states oppose Trump's executive order that limits birthright citizenship

President Donald Trump’s attempt to end birthright citizenship is a “flagrantly unlawful attempt to strip hundreds of thousands of American-born children of their citizenship based on their parentage,” attorneys for 18 states,

the city of San Francisco, and the District of Columbia said Tuesday in a lawsuit challenging the president’s executive order signed hours after he was sworn in Monday.

The lawsuit, filed by 18 Democratic attorneys general, accuses Trump of attempting to overturn a “well-established and longstanding constitutional principle” through executive action.

“The President has no authority to rewrite or overturn a constitutional amendment or a duly enacted statute.” Nor is he authorized by any other source of law to limit who is granted US citizenship at birth,” the lawsuit stated.

Four more states filed a similar suit later in the day, asking a federal court to prevent the executive order from being implemented or enforced, bringing the total number of states to 22.

On Tuesday evening, U.S. District Judge John Coughenour scheduled a 10 a.m. hearing on Thursday to consider four states’ request for a temporary restraining order against Trump’s executive order.

Judge Coughenour, who was nominated to the bench by former President Ronald Reagan, is likely to be the first to rule on Trump’s executive order.

Trump’s order directs federal agencies to stop issuing citizenship documents to U.S.-born children of undocumented mothers or mothers in the country on temporary visas beginning next month, if the father is not a US citizen or permanent resident.

According to the lawsuit filed by the 18 states, approximately 150,000 children born each year to noncitizen parents who do not have legal status may lose access to basic health care, foster care, and early interventions for infants, toddlers, and students with disabilities.

“They will all be deportable, and many will be stateless,” the lawsuit claimed.

The states warned that the executive order would cause them to lose federal funding for programs that provide services to children regardless of immigration status.

While Trump’s order purports to end birthright citizenship unilaterally, the 14th Amendment’s application is left to the US Supreme Court.

“President Trump’s attempt to unilaterally end birthright citizenship is a flagrant violation of our Constitution,” New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin stated at a press conference on Tuesday. “For more than 150 years, our country has followed the same basic rule: babies who are born in this country are American citizens.”

“He’s entitled to enact a policy that he sees fit for the country,” yet “this is an extreme and unprecedented act,” Platkin told reporters. “This is not simply an attack on the law. It’s an attack on the very fabric of our country.”

“Presidents in this country wield considerable power. “But they are not kings,” Platklin stated.

“The great promise of our nation is that everyone born here is a citizen of the United States, able to achieve the American dream,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James.

“This fundamental right to birthright citizenship, rooted in the 14th Amendment and born from the ashes of slavery, is a cornerstone of our nation’s commitment to justice.”

“We are prepared to face the challenges of a second Trump administration to ensure that in California, our progress will continue and prevail,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said.

The states are attempting to invalidate Trump’s executive order and halt any actions taken to enforce it. Their lawsuit seeks a preliminary injunction to prevent the order from taking effect.

On Monday, nonprofits in Massachusetts and New Hampshire filed federal lawsuits challenging the executive order.

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