WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) upheld birthright citizenship, ruling that all children born in the United States are citizens at birth, regardless of their parents’ immigration status, under the Fourteenth Amendment’s Citizenship Clause.” This ruling affirms the District Court for the District of New Hampshire’s judgment, which issued a nationwide injunction stopping the Executive Order from going into effect, citing, “Citizenship, then and now, was the right to have rights—to freely participate in our political community.”
The National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA), while applauding today’s decision to uphold fundamental rights and freedoms, is concerned by the lack of unanimous support for birthright citizenship. The Trump administration’s attempt to attack citizenship from all angles, including its attempt to end birthright citizenship, represents a regressive and exclusionary vision of America rooted in xenophobia. In contrast, the brave, undocumented mothers who fought for this victory have now protected the ‘right to have rights’ for generations of Americans.
Said Nicole Melaku, NPNA executive director, “Today, while the administration attempts to divide our communities, this powerful victory unites us in our shared humanity. This ruling is about upholding the promise of freedom and the rights that protect all Americans.
“At the same time, we cannot ignore how close so many came to losing these fundamental protections. This journey has made clear to us, our members, and allies that this administration will stop at nothing in its attempt to rewrite the story of this nation and decide who gets to thrive. Today’s victory is a safeguard, and our fight to defend full inclusion continues.”
Said Angelica Salas, executive director, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), “Today’s Supreme Court decision is a reaffirmation of our presence and a reminder that every person deserves to be seen with humanity, dignity, and belonging. Immigrants are woven into the fabric of this nation—as workers, parents, neighbors, entrepreneurs, and community leaders—and our future is inseparable from America’s future. While this decision affirms an important principle, our work is far from over. We will keep fighting until every immigrant is fully recognized, protected, and has a meaningful pathway to citizenship, because true belonging means everyone has the opportunity to thrive and contribute without fear.”
Said Lisa Sherman Luna, executive director of Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRCC), “For more than 125 years, the 14th Amendment has been and remains clear today: if you are born on American soil, you are an American citizen. While today’s ruling reinforces that truth, we must be clear in the condemnation of any attempt to undermine the foundation of birthright citizenship in the US. The Trump administration’s effort to dismantle this right was always about racism, discrimination, and exerting a narrow view of who gets to belong.
“Today’s decision is a check on the current racist and anti-immigrant agenda being promoted both at the national and state level, led by an administration which seeks to govern millions of people through fear and uncertainty. Americans overwhelmingly reject this agenda of cruelty and chaos. At TIRRC, we will continue to fight for the values of belonging, dignity, and unity for all, regardless of where we come from or the color of our skin, not only today but for decades to come.”
Said Carlos Aleman, CEO of the Hispanic and Immigrant Center of Alabama (HICA), “Today’s ruling is about the millions of Americans whose first breath in this country made them citizens, regardless of where their parents came from or what papers they carried. The Supreme Court today affirmed birthright citizenship, the foundation of our country, built generation after generation by people who arrived with little and gave their children everything. At HICA, we see those children every day; they are future teachers, nurses, engineers, and neighbors, and today the highest court in the land confirmed that their place in this country was never in question. A more inclusive democracy is not a future aspiration; it is already here, written into the lives of every American born to parents who came from somewhere else. We celebrate this victory for them, and we commit to defending it.”
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The National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA) is a multi-ethnic, multiracial coalition of over 76 of the nation’s largest immigrant and refugee rights organizations with reach across over 40 states. Together with our members, we advance immigrant and refugee equity and inclusion, build and expand immigration legal services and integration programming capacity, and drive campaigns that strengthen democracy through increased civic participation. See our website for more information at partnershipfornewamericans.org.