For Immediate Release
Contact
Linda Paris, (202) 308-5186 [email protected]
Aleisha Flores, (771)-233-8202 [email protected]
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia declared Executive Order 14160 (Executive Order) unconstitutional because it violates the Citizenship Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, upholding the constitutional principle that children born in the US are citizens at birth regardless of their parent’s immigration status. This is the first time a federal court has issued a final judgment by applying the Supreme Court’s ruling in Trump v. Barbara, which reaffirmed the Constitution’s guarantee of birthright citizenship.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC (Advancing Justice-AAJC) and the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs (WLC) filed a lawsuit on behalf of OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates (OCA) and individuals impacted by Executive Order challenging the administration’s attempt to restrict birthright citizenship.
Advancing Justice – AAJC, WLC, and OCA issue the following statement in response:
“Today’s judgment confirms what the Constitution has guaranteed for more than 150 years: children born in the United States are citizens of the United States. Even after the Supreme Court unequivocally ruled that birthright citizenship is a fundamental constitutional right, President Trump and his administration released two more executive orders searching for ways to abridge that constitutional right, this time relying on racialized fearmongering and stereotypical anti-Chinese rhetoric about the motives of the parents of children born in the United States. This order from a federal court serves as a reminder that the President does not have the power to rewrite the Fourteenth Amendment or create categories of children who are somehow less entitled to its protections. We will continue to defend birthright citizenship against every unlawful attempt to weaken it.”
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Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs: Founded in 1968, the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs works to create legal, economic, and social equity through litigation, client and public education and public policy advocacy. While we fight discrimination against all people, we recognize the central role that current and historic race discrimination plays in sustaining inequity and recognize the critical importance of identifying, exposing, combatting, and dismantling the systems that sustain racial oppression. We partner with individuals and communities facing discrimination and with the legal community to achieve justice.
OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates: Founded in 1973, OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates is a 501(c)(3) national member-driven nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. with 35+ chapters and affiliates across the U.S. OCA is dedicated to advancing the sociopolitical and holistic well-being of all Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC: Founded in 1991, Advancing Justice – AAJC advocates for an America in which all Americans can benefit equally from, and contribute to, the American dream. We have a mission to advance the civil and human rights of Asian Americans and to build and promote a fair and equitable society for all.