ACLU lawsuit challenges Trump's order to end birthright citizenship
The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump's executive order that ends birthright citizenship for children born to undocumented immigrants.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of several organizations "with members whose babies born on U.S. soil will be denied citizenship under the order," the ACLU said in a statement.
"Denying citizenship to U.S.-born children is not only unconstitutional - it's also a reckless and ruthless repudiation of American values," said Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the ACLU. "Birthright citizenship is part of what makes the United States the strong and dynamic nation that it is."
"The Trump administration's overreach is so egregious that we are confident we will ultimately prevail," he added.
The plaintiffs say birthright citizenship is protected by the 14th Amendment.
"For families across America today, birthright citizenship represents the promise that their children can achieve their full potential as Americans. It means children born here can dream of becoming doctors, lawyers, teachers, entrepreneurs, or even president-dreams that would be foreclosed if their citizenship were stripped away based on their parents' status," the groups represented by the ACLU said in the filing.