CLC Urges the Courts to Uphold the Constitutionality of Birthright Citizenship

On Thursday, May 15, the U.S. Supreme Court will hold oral arguments on the federal government’s appeal of rulings blocking President Donald Trump’s executive order that attempts to end birthright citizenship.

On behalf of Secure Families Initiative, the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center submitted a brief last month urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to block President Trump’s unconstitutional attempt to ban birthright citizenship.

Bruce V. Spiva, senior vice president of Campaign Legal Center, issued the following statement:

“Citizenship is the core of American democracy — it is the primary determinant of who can vote as well as a whole range of opportunities to interact with our government. The 14th Amendment and over 100 years of Supreme Court precedent are clear: Regardless of where your parents were born, babies born in the United States are citizens.

“Attacks on citizenship — whether from the White House or elsewhere — are attacks on our democracy. If the president gets to choose who is a citizen, he is essentially getting to choose who votes.

“This is why it is so essential that the Supreme Court affirms our Constitution and this legal precedent by upholding birthright citizenship. Our democracy is strongest when it includes all Americans.”

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The nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center advances democracy through law. We safeguard the freedom to vote, defend voters’ right to know who is spending money to influence elections, and work to ensure public trust in our elected officials.

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