Immigration advocates have filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump following his executive order to end automatic citizenship for children born in the U.S. to parents who are in the country unlawfully or temporarily.
On Monday, Trump signed the executive order at the White House, which seeks to overturn the longstanding policy of birthright citizenship. The order, set to take effect in 30 days, challenges over a century of U.S. policy and constitutional interpretations.
Immigration groups quickly filed a lawsuit in New Hampshire later that evening, according to a Bloomberg report.
In a briefing on Monday, Trump emphasized his commitment to the controversial policy change, stating, “The federal government will not recognize automatic birthright citizenship for children of illegal aliens born in the United States. We are also going to enhance vetting and screening of illegal aliens.”
Ending birthright citizenship has been a key focus of Trump’s Agenda47 policy, with his campaign pledging to clarify the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. The platform argues that citizenship should apply “only to those both born in AND ‘subject to the jurisdiction’ of the United States.”
To defend the policy, the Justice Department will have to convince courts to adopt a more limited interpretation of the 14th Amendment, a position supported by some conservative legal scholars. The legal battle could significantly alter the interpretation of the 14th Amendment, which was ratified in 1868 to grant citizenship to former