Numerous city, county and state attorneys are closely monitoring the Trump administration’s initiative to eliminate birthright citizenship, having expressed concerns about its potential negative impact on various aspects of society.
In a letter to the Supreme Court in April, they argued that President Trump’s executive order, titled ‘Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship’, takes a broad view of birthright citizenship that could hinder educational outcomes, local economies and public health.
They cautioned that the order could result in a permanent underclass of individuals with unequal rights, limiting access to federally funded health and welfare programmes for children and families. They emphasised that the order could make it more difficult to obtain federally funded benefits such as Medicaid and SNAP, as a United States birth certificate would no longer be accepted as proof of citizenship. The attorneys raised concerns about increased hunger, poverty and disease nationwide if birthright citizenship were to be denied to certain individuals, which would ultimately affect state-provided services.
They also highlighted the potential negative impact on educational outcomes, particularly for international students. Despite district courts in Maryland, Massachusetts, and Washington issuing preliminary injunctions against the administration’s orders, the Trump administration argued for a limited scope of the injunction. Meanwhile, attorneys from various jurisdictions stressed the importance of a consistent national approach to citizenship requirements. The Supreme Court must decide whether to maintain the nationwide injunction or grant states and local governments the authority to determine policies related to birthright citizenship.
