A coalition of 22 Democratic-led states, along with civil rights groups, has filed lawsuits challenging US President Donald Trump’s executive order rolling back birthright citizenship. The legal battle marks the first major court challenge against Trump’s administration, just a day after his inauguration.
Trump’s directive instructs US agencies to deny citizenship to children born in the US if neither parent is a US citizen or legal permanent resident. In response, lawsuits were filed in federal courts in Boston, Seattle, and Maryland, arguing that the order violates the 14th Amendment’s Citizenship Clause, which grants citizenship to all individuals born on US soil.
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell warned that if the order stands, over 150,000 children born annually in the US could be denied citizenship, affecting their ability to access federal programs, work legally, or vote.
“President Trump does not have the authority to take away constitutional rights,” Campbell said in a statement.
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin echoed this stance, saying, “Today’s immediate lawsuit sends a clear message to the Trump administration that we will stand up for our residents and their basic constitutional rights.”
The lawsuits cite the US Supreme Court’s 1898 ruling in United States v. Wong Kim Ark, which affirmed that children born in the US to non-citizen parents are entitled to citizenship. Among the plaintiffs is a Massachusetts woman, identified as “O. Doe,” who has temporary protected status and is due to give birth in March.
The White House has yet to respond to the legal challenges. However, multiple lawsuits are already pending against other Trump administration policies, including changes to civil service job protections and a directive affecting government agencies led by billionaire Elon Musk.
A federal judge in Seattle has scheduled a hearing to determine whether to temporarily block Trump’s order, as legal battles over the policy intensify.
