In a move to challenge President Donald Trump’s latest immigration policy, attorneys general from 22 states have filed a lawsuit to block an executive order aimed at ending birthright citizenship.
The executive order, signed on January 20, 2025, seeks to deny citizenship to babies born in the United States to undocumented immigrant parents.
The lawsuit, led by New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin, alleges that the order is unconstitutional and violates the Fourteenth Amendment, which guarantees citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States.
“The President’s executive order is a clear violation of the Constitution and would cause harm to hundreds of thousands of American children,” said Attorney General Platkin.
“We will not stand idly by while the President attempts to undermine the fundamental rights of our citizens.”
The lawsuit seeks a preliminary injunction to block the order before it takes effect on February 19, 2025.
The states involved in the lawsuit argue that the order would impose significant costs on the states themselves and would cause irreparable harm to the affected individuals.
The states participating in the lawsuit are: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland and Massachusetts.
Others are: Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, District of Columbia, and City of San Francisco.
This lawsuit is the latest challenge to President Trump’s immigration policies, which have been met with controversy and opposition from various states and advocacy groups.
The case is expected to spark a lengthy legal battle, with many experts questioning the constitutionality of the President’s executive order.