PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island has joined 19 other states and municipalities in suing President Donald Trump to block an executive order that seeks to end birthright citizenship in the United States, launching a legal battle over the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
The lawsuit was filed on Tuesday in the District Court for the District of Massachusetts. It challenges the president’s “flagrantly unlawful attempt to strip hundreds of thousands of American-born children of their citizenship based on their parentage.”
“The Fourteenth Amendment guarantees that, no matter your family’s country of origin, if you are born here, this is your home, this is your country,” Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said in a lengthy statement condemning Trump’s executive order.
“With this executive order, the President seeks to deny citizenship to Americans who would lawfully live here, pay taxes, raise their families, and contribute to the extraordinary fabric of this country.
If allowed, this executive order will have far-reaching economic, social, and human rights consequences, the full scope of which we cannot predict.”
Trump promised during his campaign that he would end birthright citizenship. On Monday, during his first few hours in office, he signed an executive order arguing that “the Fourteenth Amendment has never been interpreted to extend citizenship universally to everyone born within the United States.”
The order aims to deny citizenship to children born to undocumented mothers and migrants who are here temporarily and whose partners are not US permanent residents or citizens. It is set to take effect in mid-February.
However, state attorneys general disagree with Trump’s interpretation of the 14th Amendment.
“This executive order directly contradicts the Constitution, the Immigration and Nationality Act, and two U.S. Neronha’s office issued a statement in response to the Supreme Court decisions.
The press release continued: “Despite the Constitution’s guarantee of citizenship, if this executive order is allowed to stand, thousands of children will – for the first time – lose their ability to fully be a part of American society as a citizen with all the benefits and privileges that citizenship provides.”
The attorneys general are requesting a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction to stop Trump’s executive order.
Neronha’s office warned that the executive order would result in cuts to federal programs such as Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program and foster care and adoption assistance programs.
”Now is the time to come together as Americans and protect our fellow citizens, regardless of our differences, and because of our differences,” Neronha said.