Trump signs executive order to end birthright US citizenship; lawsuit filed

It states that such children will not be eligible for US citizenship, including passports, starting 30 days from its signing.

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to end birthright citizenship. However, hours after the order, a coalition of civil rights and immigration groups filed a lawsuit challenging the move.

Signed Monday night, the executive order directs federal agencies to deny recognition of US citizenship for children born on American soil to parents who are in the country illegally or on temporary visas unless one parent is a US citizen or lawful permanent resident.

Order to end birthright US citizenship to come into effect after 30 days

It states that such children will not be eligible for US citizenship, including passports, starting 30 days from its signing.

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The order contradicts the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, which guarantees birthright citizenship.

To change it, an amendment to the US Constitution is needed. For amending the US Constitution, a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and Senate is required.

Additionally, the amendment will be completed after it receives the ratification of three-fourths of state legislatures.

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Lawsuit

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), several of its state chapters, and other organisations have filed a 17-page lawsuit in federal court in New Hampshire on behalf of immigration rights groups, arguing that the order is unconstitutional and illegal.

“For plaintiffs — organisations with members impacted by the order — and for families across the country, this order seeks to strip from their children the ‘priceless treasure’ of US citizenship, threatening them with a lifetime of exclusion and fear of deportation from the only country they have ever known,” the lawsuit states.

“But that is illegal. The Constitution and Congress — not President Trump — dictate who is entitled to full membership in American society.”

The lawsuit seeks to have the court declare the executive order unlawful and issue both temporary and permanent injunctions to block its enforcement.

The ACLU’s lawsuit warns that the order could render affected children stateless and create widespread fear and uncertainty. Attorneys for the coalition pointed out that some of the immigration groups’ members are currently expecting children who could be impacted by the order.

The battle over the order is expected to escalate to higher courts, potentially reaching the Supreme Court.

With inputs from IANS

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