Donald Trump Orders To Stop US Birthright Citizenship

Donald Trump Orders To Stop US Birthright Citizenship

On the first day of his presidency, Donald Trump has signed an order challenging a long-standing constitutional right that people born inside the U.S. are guaranteed citizenship.

Donald Trump is attempting to change who is allowed to be a U.S. citizen. The right has been considered settled law since it was approved as part of the Constitution more than 150 years ago.

President Trump told federal departments to deny the right known as birthright citizenship from children born to mothers and fathers in the country unlawfully. Under his order, it would also deny citizenship to children born to parents in the U.S. on work or study visas, tourism visas, or when neither parent is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. The order could impact who is granted passports, social security numbers, and certificates of citizenship. If it stands, the changes would go into effect on Feb. 19.

Meanwhile, the action was challenged in court as unconstitutional. a coalition of immigrant rights groups—expecting Trump to quickly sign such an order—filed a lawsuit on Monday night asking a federal court in New Hampshire to declare the order unlawful and stop the federal government from implementing it. “The framers of the Fourteenth Amendment specifically enshrined this principle in our Constitution’s text to ensure that no one—not even the President—could deny children born in America their rightful place as citizens,” read the lawsuit.

On Tuesday 21st January, the attorneys general for 22 Democratic-led states, Washington, D.C. and the city of San Francisco joined in, filing similar lawsuits in federal courts in Seattle and Boston.