22 States Challenge Trump’s Order to End Birthright Citizenship

Twenty-two Democratic-led states, along with civil rights groups and immigrant organizations, have launched legal challenges against U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at rolling back birthright citizenship.

Trump signed the controversial order on Monday, directing federal agencies to deny citizenship to children born in the U.S. if neither parent is a U.S. citizen or a legal permanent resident.

In swift opposition, lawsuits were filed in federal courts in Boston and Seattle by states including Massachusetts, California, and New York, along with the District of Columbia and San Francisco. Two additional lawsuits were brought by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), immigrant advocacy groups, and an expectant mother.

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell criticized the order, asserting that Trump had overstepped his authority. “President Trump does not have the authority to take away constitutional rights,” she stated, referencing the 14th Amendment, which guarantees citizenship to all individuals born on U.S. soil.

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New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin echoed this sentiment, vowing to defend the constitutional rights of affected residents. “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,” Platkin said.

The order, if upheld, could deny citizenship to more than 150,000 children born annually in the U.S., stripping them of access to federal programs such as Medicaid, lawful employment opportunities, and the right to vote.

The lawsuits represent the first major legal battle over immigration policy under Trump’s administration and underscore the broad resistance to his sweeping crackdown.