In a dramatic and controversial move, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday.
Aiming to strip birthright citizenship from children born in the United States to undocumented immigrants.
The decision, which challenges over 150 years of constitutional interpretation, has ignited a fierce legal and moral debate across the nation.
The executive order, titled “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship,” targets infants born after February 19.
It seeks to deny U.S. citizenship to babies born to mothers unlawfully residing in the country or temporarily authorized with visas.
If the fathers are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
Critics argue this unprecedented step could create a vulnerable subclass of children left in legal limbo, unable to access basic rights like Social Security, passports, or even birth certificates.
Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump expressed confidence in the order’s legality, stating, “People have wanted to do this for decades.
We believe we have strong grounds to defend it.”
Yet, the move has drawn swift backlash.
Advocacy groups, legal experts, and constitutional scholars have condemned the action, labeling it an attack on one of the nation’s foundational principles enshrined in the 14th Amendment.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) promptly filed a lawsuit.
Asserting that the order violates the Constitution and threatens to deny newborns access to essential services like healthcare and nutrition.
“This order repeats one of America’s gravest mistakes, creating a permanent underclass born within our borders but denied full rights.
We won’t let this attack go unchallenged,” declared Anthony Romero, ACLU’s executive director.
Immigrant advocacy groups and civil rights organizations are also fighting the order, arguing it punishes innocent infants and undermines the nation’s values.
One lawsuit centers on a pregnant woman due in March, who faces uncertainty about her baby’s citizenship status under the new policy.
The executive order also excludes queer and nonbinary couples, defining parents in strictly biological and gendered terms, a decision that has added to the uproar.
This order is part of a broader push by the Trump administration to deliver on promises to curb immigration and deport millions.
As the legal battles begin, the fate of countless families and their newborns hangs in the balance, while the nation grapples with the implications of redefining citizenship.
