Attorneys general from 22 states, including North Carolina, sued Tuesday to block President Donald Trump’s move to end a century-old immigration practice known as birthright citizenship guaranteeing that U.S.-born children are citizens regardless of their parents’ status.
Trump’s roughly 700-word executive order, issued late Monday, amounts to a fulfillment of something he’s talked about during the presidential campaign. But whether it succeeds is far from certain amid what is likely to be a lengthy legal battle over the president’s immigration policies and a constitutional right to citizenship.
kAm%96 s6>@4C2E:4 2EE@C?6JD 86?6C2= 2?5 :>>:8C2?E C:89ED 25G@42E6D D2J E96 BF6DE:@? @7 3:CE9C:89E 4:E:K6?D9:A :D D6EE=65 =2H 2?5 E92E H9:=6 AC6D:56?ED 92G6 3C@25 2FE9@C:EJ[ E96J 2C6 ?@E <:?8D]k^Am
kAm“%96 AC6D:56?E 42??@E[ H:E9 2 DEC@<6 @7 2 A6?[ HC:E6 E96 `cE9 p>6?5>6?E @FE @7 6I:DE6?46[ A6C:@5[” }6H y6CD6J pEE@C?6J v6?6C2= |2EE !=2E<:? D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 (9:E6 w@FD6 D2:5 :E’D C625J E@ 7246 E96 DE2E6D :? 4@FCE 2?5 42==65 E96 =2HDF:ED “?@E9:?8 >@C6 E92? 2? 6IE6?D:@? @7 E96 {67E’D C6D:DE2?46]”k^Am
kAm“#25:42= {67E:DED 42? 6:E96C 49@@D6 E@ DH:> 282:?DE E96 E:56 2?5 C6;64E E96 @G6CH96=>:?8 H:== @7 E96 A6@A=6[ @C E96J 42? 86E @? 3@2C5 2?5 H@C< H:E9 !C6D:56?E %CF>A[” (9:E6 w@FD6 56AFEJ AC6DD D64C6E2CJ w2CC:D@? u:6=5D D2:5]k^Am
kAmr@??64E:4FE pEE@C?6J v6?6C2= (:==:2> %@?8[ 2 &]$] 4:E:K6? 3J 3:CE9C:89E 2?5 E96 ?2E:@?’D 7:CDE r9:?6D6 p>6C:42? 6=64E65 2EE@C?6J 86?6C2=[ D2:5 E96 =2HDF:E H2D A6CD@?2= 7@C 9:>]k^Am
kAm“%96 `cE9 p>6?5>6?E D2JD H92E :E >62?D[ 2?5 :E >62?D H92E :E D2JD — :7 J@F 2C6 3@C? @? p>6C:42? D@:=[ J@F 2C6 2? p>6C:42?] !6C:@5] uF== DE@A[” 96 D2:5] “%96C6 :D ?@ =68:E:>2E6 =682= 5632E6 @? E9:D BF6DE:@?] qFE E96 724E E92E %CF>A :D 5625 HC@?8 H:== ?@E AC6G6?E 9:> 7C@> :?7=:4E:?8 D6C:@FD 92C> C:89E ?@H @? p>6C:42? 72>:=:6D =:<6 >J @H?]”k^Am
kAm}]r] pEE@C?6J v6?6C2= y24<D@? C6=62D65 E96 7@==@H:?8 DE2E6>6?E :? ;@:?:?8 E96 DF:Eik^Am
kAm“%9:D 6I64FE:G6 @C56C :D 2 DEC2:89E7@CH2C5 G:@=2E:@? @7 E96 u@FCE66?E9 p>6?5>6?E[ H9:49 8F2C2?E66D 4:E:K6?D9:A E@ 2== A6@A=6 3@C? @? &]$] D@:=[” y24<D@? D2:5]k^Am
kAm“u@C @G6C 2 46?EFCJ[ E9:D AC:?4:A=6 92D 366? FA96=5 3J E96 $FAC6>6 r@FCE 2?5 C6>2:?D 2 365C@4< @7 @FC 4@?DE:EFE:@?2= 7C2>6H@C<]”k^Am
kAmy24<D@? 2=D@ ?@E65 E92E E96 r@?DE:EFE:@? H2D 4=62C @? E96 >2EE6C]k^Am
kAm“%96 r@?DE:EFE:@? =62G6D ?@ C@@> 7@C 6I64FE:G6 C6:?E6CAC6E2E:@? @? E9:D >2EE6C — :E :D 4=62C[ D6EE=65 2?5 3:?5:?8[” y24<D@? D2:5] “%9:D @C56C D66<D E@ F?56C>:?6 E92E 4=2C:EJ[ 4C62E:?8 =682= F?46CE2:?EJ 2?5 56?J:?8 7F?52>6?E2= C:89ED E@ 49:=5C6? 3@C? :? E9:D 4@F?ECJ]”k^Am
k9bm(92E :D 3:CE9C:89E 4:E:K6?D9:Ank^9bm
kAmpE :DDF6 :? E96 42D6 :D E96 C:89E E@ 4:E:K6?D9:A 8C2?E65 E@ 2?J@?6 3@C? :? E96 &]$][ C682C5=6DD @7 E96:C A2C6?ED’ :>>:8C2E:@? DE2EFD] !6@A=6 :? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D @? 2 E@FC:DE @C @E96C G:D2 @C :? E96 4@F?ECJ :==682==J 42? 364@>6 E96 A2C6?ED @7 2 4:E:K6? :7 E96:C 49:=5 :D 3@C? 96C6]k^Am
kAmxE’D 6?D9C:?65 :? E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^g__3_2a__dadc64dgbeh3hdec7db36g7Qm`cE9 p>6?5>6?E E@ E96 r@?DE:EFE:@?k^2m[ DFAA@CE6CD D2J] qFE %CF>A 2?5 2==:6D 5:DAFE6 E96 C625:?8 @7 E96 2>6?5>6?E 2?5 D2J E96C6 ?665 E@ 36 E@F896C DE2?52C5D @? 364@>:?8 2 4:E:K6?]k^Am
kAm%96 &]$] :D 2>@?8 23@FE b_ 4@F?EC:6D H96C6 3:CE9C:89E 4:E:K6?D9:A — E96 AC:?4:A=6 @7 ;FD D@=: @C “C:89E @7 E96 D@:=” — :D 2AA=:65] |@DE 2C6 :? E96 p>6C:42D[ 2?5 r2?252 2?5 |6I:4@ 2C6 2>@?8 E96>] |@DE @E96C 4@F?EC:6D 4@?76C 4:E:K6?D9:A 32D65 @? H96E96C 2E =62DE @?6 A2C6?E — ;FD D2?8F:?:D[ @C “C:89E @7 3=@@5” — :D 2 4:E:K6?[ @C 92G6 2 >@5:7:65 7@C> @7 3:CE9C:89E 4:E:K6?D9:A E92E >2J C6DEC:4E 2FE@>2E:4 4:E:K6?D9:A E@ 49:=5C6? @7 A2C6?ED H9@ 2C6 @? E96:C E6CC:E@CJ =682==J]k^Am
k9bm(92E 5@6D %CF>A’D @C56C D2Jnk^9bm
kAm%CF>A’D @C56C BF6DE:@?D E92E E96 `cE9 p>6?5>6?E 6IE6?5D 4:E:K6?D9:A 2FE@>2E:42==J E@ 2?J@?6 3@C? :? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D]k^Am
kAm#2E:7:65 :? `geg :? :? E96 27E6C>2E9 @7 E96 r:G:= (2C[ E96 `cE9 p>6?5>6?E D2JDi “p== A6CD@?D 3@C? @C ?2EFC2=:K65 :? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D 2?5 DF3;64E E@ E96 ;FC:D5:4E:@? E96C6@7[ 2C6 4:E:K6?D @7 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D 2?5 @7 E96 $E2E6 H96C6:? E96J C6D:56]”k^Am
kAm%CF>A’D @C56C 2DD6CED E92E E96 49:=5C6? @7 ?@?4:E:K6?D 2C6 ?@E DF3;64E E@ E96 ;FC:D5:4E:@? @7 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D] xE 6I4=F56D E96 7@==@H:?8 A6@A=6 7C@> 2FE@>2E:4 4:E:K6?D9:Ai E9@D6 H9@D6 >@E96CD H6C6 ?@E =682==J :? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D 2?5 H9@D6 72E96CD H6C6 ?@E &]$] 4:E:K6?D @C =2H7F= A6C>2?6?E C6D:56?ED[ 2?5 A6@A=6 H9@D6 >@E96CD H6C6 :? E96 4@F?ECJ =682==J 3FE @? 2 E6>A@C2CJ 32D:D 2?5 H9@D6 72E96CD H6C6 ?@E 4:E:K6?D @C =682= A6C>2?6?E C6D:56?ED]k^Am
kAmxE 8@6D @? E@ 32C 7656C2= 286?4:6D 7C@> C64@8?:K:?8 E96 4:E:K6?D9:A @7 A6@A=6 :? E9@D6 42E68@C:6D] xE E2<6D 67764E @? u63] `h]k^Am
kAmxE’D ?@E 4=62C H96E96C E96 @C56C H@F=5 C6EC@24E:G6=J 27764E 3:CE9C:89E 4:E:K6?D] xE D2JD E92E 7656C2= 286?4:6D “D92==” ?@E :DDF6 4:E:K6?D9:A 5@4F>6?ED E@ E96 A6@A=6 :E 6I4=F56D @C 2446AE @E96C 5@4F>6?ED 7C@> DE2E6D @C =@42= 8@G6C?>6?ED]k^Am
k9bm(92E :D E96 9:DE@CJ @7 E96 :DDF6nk^9bm
kAm%96 `cE9 p>6?5>6?E 5:5 ?@E 2=H2JD 8F2C2?E66 3:CE9C:89E 4:E:K6?D9:A E@ 2== &]$]\3@C? A6@A=6] r@?8C6DD 5:5 ?@E 2FE9@C:K6 4:E:K6?D9:A 7@C 2== }2E:G6 p>6C:42?D 3@C? :? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D F?E:= `hac]k^Am
kAmx? `ghg 2? :>A@CE2?E 3:CE9C:89E 4:E:K6?D9:A 42D6 F?7@=565 :? E96 &]$] $FAC6>6 r@FCE] %96 4@FCE 96=5 E92E (@?8 z:> pC<[ H9@ H2D 3@C? :? $2? uC2?4:D4@ E@ r9:?6D6 :>>:8C2?ED[ H2D 2 &]$] 4:E:K6? 3642FD6 96 H2D 3@C? :? E96 4@F?ECJ] p7E6C 2 EC:A 23C@25[ 96 925 72465 56?:65 C66?ECJ 3J E96 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E @? E96 8C@F?5D E92E 96 H2D?’E 2 4:E:K6? F?56C E96 r9:?6D6 tI4=FD:@? p4E]k^Am
kAmqFE D@>6 25G@42E6D @7 :>>:8C2E:@? C6DEC:4E:@?D 92G6 2C8F65 E92E H9:=6 E96 42D6 4=62C=J 2AA=:65 E@ 49:=5C6? 3@C? E@ A2C6?ED H9@ 2C6 3@E9 =682= :>>:8C2?ED[ :E’D =6DD 4=62C H96E96C :E 2AA=:6D E@ 49:=5C6? 3@C? E@ A2C6?ED H:E9@FE =682= DE2EFD]k^Am
kAm%96 :DDF6 @7 3:CE9C:89E 4:E:K6?D9:A 2C@D6 :? pC:K@?2 — @?6 @7 E96 DE2E6D DF:?8 E@ 3=@4< %CF>A’D @C56C — 5FC:?8 a_`` H96? #6AF3=:42? =2H>2<6CD 4@?D:56C65 2 3:== E92E H@F=5 92G6 492==6?865 2FE@>2E:4 3:CE9C:89E 4:E:K6?D9:A] $FAA@CE6CD D2:5 E96? E92E E96 8@2= H2D?’E E@ 86E 6G6CJ DE2E6 :? E96 ?2E:@? E@ 6?24E DF49 2 =2H[ 3FE C2E96C E@ 3C:?8 E96 5:DAFE6 E@ E96 4@FCED] %96 3:== ?6G6C >256 :E @FE @7 E96 =68:D=2EFC6]k^Am
kAmx? 255:E:@? E@ }@CE9 r2C@=:?2[ r@??64E:4FE 2?5 }6H y6CD6J[ r2=:7@C?:2[ |2DD249FD6EED[ r@=@C25@[ s6=2H2C6[ w2H2::[ |2:?6[ |2CJ=2?5[ |:49:82?[ |:??6D@E2[ }6G252[ }6H |6I:4@[ }6H *@C<[ #9@56 xD=2?5[ '6C>@?E 2?5 (:D4@?D:? ;@:?65 E96 =2HDF:E E@ DE@A E96 @C56C]k^Am
kAmpC:K@?2[ x==:?@:D[ ~C68@? 2?5 (2D9:?8E@? 7:=65 2 D6A2C2E6 DF:E :? 7656C2= 4@FCE 492==6?8:?8 %CF>A’D @C56C 2D H6==]k^Am
kAmk6>mpDD@4:2E65 !C6DD C6A@CE6C y24BF6D q:==62F5 :? !9@6?:I[ s2G:5 r@==:?D :? w2CE7@C5[ r@??64E:4FE[ +6<6 |:==6C[ #636442 $2?E2?2 2?5 |2C< $96C>2? :? (2D9:?8E@?[ 4@?EC:3FE65 E@ E9:D C6A@CE]k^6>mk^Am