On Wednesday, the coalition of U.S. attorneys general defending the right to citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants expressed confidence that the Supreme Court will rule that President Donald Trump's executive order, which eliminates that right, violates the Constitution. The order, one of the first Trump signed after taking office in January 2025 — already ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge and an appeals court — seeks to amend the current interpretation of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It states that any person born on U.S. soil automatically obtains nationality, regardless of their parents' immigration status. About 250,000 children a year could be affected if the president's order moves forward. 'Our coalition of attorneys general is proud to have led the fight against the President's unlawful executive order, and we are confident the Supreme Court will rule that it violates our Constitution,' stated X Letitia James, New York Attorney General, who is part of the coalition. According to James, Trump's executive order also violates federal laws 'and the norm that has governed our nation for over 150 years.' These 24 attorneys general today, along with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other immigrant advocacy groups, are supporting this amendment during a hearing at the Supreme Court. Trump attended the hearing, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to witness oral arguments at that court, which in June 2025 already ruled in favor of the Republican and lifted blocks in lower courts on the controversial policy. The coalition of prosecutors expressed optimism that all Supreme Court justices reviewing this executive order 'will rule that it violates this fundamental constitutional right.' 'Denying U.S.-born children birthright citizenship is not only legally indefensible but is also a deliberate attempt to rewrite the 14th Amendment to the Constitution,' highlighted the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO). The association also noted that the Supreme Court must reject 'this unconstitutional abuse of power and reaffirm the enduring promise of equal citizenship for all born in this country' because 'the integrity of our democracy and the future of millions of children born in the United States depend on it.' The Supreme Court is considering the validity of this order after a challenge was filed by a group of children who would lose citizenship, in the case 'Bárbara vs Trump'.
