One of the executive orders signed by President Donald Trump on Inauguration Day includes a controversial measure to end birthright citizenship. The order has sparked immediate legal challenges, with critics labeling it as unconstitutional.
A lawsuit filed overnight in Massachusetts federal court argues the executive order is a “flagrantly illegal” attempt to redefine a right “enshrined in the very fabric of our country.” The case was brought by an undocumented expectant mother, due in March, along with two nonprofit organizations.
“This unprecedented attempt to strip citizenship from millions of Americans with the stroke of a pen is flagrantly illegal. The President does not have the power to decide who becomes a citizen at birth,” the lawsuit stated.
The plaintiffs contend that birthright citizenship is explicitly guaranteed under the 14th Amendment and reinforced by federal law. Revoking this right, they argue, would have “overwhelming and devastating” consequences.
Legal experts anticipate this lawsuit to be one of many challenges to the executive order, which seeks to reinterpret the constitutional guarantee of citizenship for nearly everyone born in the United States.
