Immigrant groups file lawsuit in Maryland over Trump's order on birthright citizenship
BALTIMORE - Immigrant groups are filing a lawsuit in Maryland against President Donald Trump's executive order on birthright citizenship.
One of the first executive orders Mr. Trump signed, "Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship," seeks to end birthright citizenship for children whose mother or father isn't a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident.
Like the multi-state lawsuit that Maryland is a part of, immigrant rights groups and women worried about their children's citizenship filed a lawsuit saying the U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment nullifies this executive order.
Lawsuit over birthright citizenship order
CASA and the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project, or ASAP, also filed a lawsuit Tuesday.
The 38-page lawsuit contends Mr. Trump's executive order "will have a devastating and chaotic impact," arguing birthright citizenship is guaranteed, not only in the 14th Amendment but also in a federal statute that details who is entitled to birthright citizenship.
The lawsuit also contends there is legal precedent. It was filed with the help of the Georgetown University Law Center and the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection, or ICAP.
"No president has the authority to amend that constitutional right. No child born in the United States should be denied their constitutionally guaranteed right to citizenship," said Rupa Bhattacharyya, ICAP's legal director.
In a virtual news conference on Tuesday, CASA and ASAP said Trump's order lacks clarity -- especially for those seeking asylum or who have temporary protected status.
The hope is to eliminate the executive order as fast as they can.
"The fight is more than just a legal battle. It really is about the soul of this country and its identity," said George Escobar, CASA's chief of programs and services.
There are currently no court proceedings scheduled for CASA and ASAP's lawsuit yet.
"Stressed"
A pregnant woman who came to the United States from Venezuela in 2019 said she has been trying to do everything the right way, but she is stressed over Mr. Trump's executive order on birthright citizenship.
The woman, identified as Monica, said she is expecting her first child this summer.
"We've been trying to do everything the right way in the United States," she said. "We've been working, we have been paying taxes, and we actually were able to buy our own home. I should be worried about the health of my child. I should be thinking that primarily, but instead, my husband and I are stressed."