Washington: A group of Democratic state attorneys gathered to file a federal lawsuit Tuesday against President Donald Trump's executive order attempting to repeal birthright citizenship. It came shortly after President Donald Trump signed an executive order attempting to end birthright citizenship.
According to Anadolu Agency, California Attorney General Rob Bonta stated, "The President's executive order attempting to rescind birthright citizenship is blatantly unconstitutional and, quite frankly, un-American." Bonta emphasized the need for a court to immediately block the order from taking effect, ensuring that the rights of American-born children remain intact while litigation proceeds. He argued that the President has overstepped his authority significantly with this order and expressed determination to hold him accountable.
The lawsuit aims to secure a preliminary injunction to prevent the executive order from being enforced and, ultimately, to have it declared invalid. States including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin have joined the suit.
In addition to the states' legal challenge, other advocacy groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have also filed a separate lawsuit against the order. Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the ACLU, condemned the order as unconstitutional and a rejection of American values. He stated, "Denying citizenship to U.S.-born children is not only unconstitutional-it's also a reckless and ruthless repudiation of American values. Birthright citizenship is part of what makes the United States the strong and dynamic nation that it is."
The executive order has sparked significant controversy, with critics arguing that it seeks to create a permanent subclass of people born in the U.S. who are denied full rights as Americans. Meanwhile, during his inaugural speech earlier Monday, Trump announced his intention to invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to utilize the full power of federal and state law enforcement against foreign gangs and criminals on U.S. soil.