WASHINGTON, DC – The Supreme Court heard oral arguments today in Trump v. Barbara, a case challenging the legality of the Trump Administration’s January 2025 executive order attempting to end birthright citizenship. More information about the lawsuit can be found here.
Karen Tumlin, Founder and Director of Justice Action Center, issued the following statement:
“The Supreme Court has historically provided clarity on the legal issues of the day, especially when there is a split between lower courts or when the legal issues at hand are unclear. This is not the case today: The Court has addressed the issue of birthright citizenship again and again, always with the same outcome: that the Fourteenth Amendment makes clear that all of us born in the United States, no matter our parents, are citizens.
“Donald Trump doesn’t get to decide who is American and who isn’t. No president of the United States has ever – or should ever – have that power. As Cecillia Wang argued so powerfully today, the 14th Amendment’s overturning of Dred Scott v. Sandford in 1868 and the precedent set in U.S. v. Kim Wong Arc in 1898 made clear that race and immigration status have no bearing on the citizenship status of babies born on U.S. soil.
“The president’s attempt to rewrite the Constitution through his birthright citizenship order is a canary in the coalmine for our democracy. Every American should be concerned that our government is trying to remake our nation’s framework to fit their worldview. The issue before the Supreme Court today should have been an open-and-shut case, and we hope that the Court will recognize the critical importance of upholding our Constitution.”
“One of the most beautiful parts of our country was on quiet display today. Cecillia Wang, an accomplished Supreme Court litigator, a compassionate leader, and the child of immigrants from Taiwan took the podium today to represent our democracy, our nation, and something that has long made our country great: children of immigrants. In all the news on today’s events, be sure not to miss that.”
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Justice Action Center (JAC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting for greater justice for immigrant communities by combining litigation and storytelling. JAC is committed to bringing additional litigation resources to address unmet needs, empower clients, and change the corrosive narrative around immigrants in the U.S. Learn more at justiceactioncenter.org and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X, and LinkedIn.