24 Democratic States Challenge Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Plan

Cities and States Unite Against Trump’s End to Birthright Citizenship

On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship,” aiming to end birthright citizenship for certain children born in the United States. Specifically, the order seeks to deny citizenship to children born to parents who are neither U.S. citizens nor lawful permanent residents.

In response, a coalition of 22 Democratic-led states, along with the District of Columbia and the city of San Francisco, filed lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of this executive order. The plaintiffs argue that the order violates the 14th Amendment’s Citizenship Clause, which has been interpreted to grant citizenship to all individuals born on U.S. soil, regardless of their parents’ immigration status.

The legal challenges emphasize that the executive order could strip citizenship from over 150,000 children born annually in the U.S., denying them access to essential rights and federal programs. The lawsuits were filed in federal courts in Boston and Seattle, setting the stage for a significant judicial review of the executive order’s validity.