Washington [US], January 22: Democratic-led states and civil rights groups filed a lawsuit on January 21 challenging US President Donald Trump's efforts to abolish birthright citizenship.
After his inauguration on January 20, President Trump , a Republican, ordered US agencies to deny citizenship to children born in the US if neither of their parents is a US citizen or legal permanent resident, according to Reuters.
If upheld, the order would take effect 30 days after President Trump signs it. President Trump acknowledged when he signed it that it would likely face legal challenges.
By January 21, 22 Democratic-led states, along with the District of Columbia and the city of San Francisco, had filed lawsuits in federal courts in Boston and Seattle, asserting that Mr. Trump had violated the US Constitution.
Two similar lawsuits were filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (immigrant groups) and a pregnant woman in the hours after Trump signed the executive order, launching the first major legal battle against the Trump administration.
The lawsuits target a core part of Mr. Trump's comprehensive crackdown on illegal immigration. If upheld, Mr. Trump's order would deny citizenship to more than 150,000 children born in the United States each year for the first time, according to Reuters, citing figures from the office of Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell. "President Trump does not have the authority to strip away constitutional rights," Ms. Campbell said in a statement.
"Today's immediate lawsuit sends a clear message to the Trump administration that we will defend our people and their fundamental constitutional rights," New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said in a statement.
The 14th Amendment to the US Constitution was adopted after the American Civil War, as part of an effort to guarantee the rights of former slaves and their children. "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside," AFP quoted part of the 14th Amendment.
Losing the right to obtain US citizenship at birth would prevent individuals from accessing federal programs such as Medicaid health insurance and, when they are older, from working legally or voting, according to Reuters.
There is currently no information about the White House's response to the above lawsuits.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
