Immigrant rights groups closely watch Supreme Court case on birthright citizenship
Immigrant advocate group, We Are CASA, rallied in Washington, D.C. ahead of the Supreme Court hearing over President Trump's order to end birthright citizenship.
We Are CASA's Policy Director, Cathryn Jackson, said the group feels encouraged that the Supreme Court will block the order.
"This whole conversation has been shaped by xenophobia," Jackson said. "It's been shaped by racism."
Jackson said birthright citizenship should not be up for debate.
"No parent should have to question whether their child belongs in the country they're born in, period," Jackson said.
Families rallied outside the Supreme Court on Wednesday morning, hoping to remind people of that constitutional right.
"It is so beautiful to see everyone outside reaffirming what we shouldn't be debating, which is the fact that the 14th Amendment guarantees citizenship for anyone born in the United States," Jackson said. "It doesn't matter what color you are. It does not matter what you look like."
Meanwhile, Solicitor General John Sauer argued in court that the right doesn't belong to children who have parents in the country illegally or temporarily.
"It operates as a powerful pull factor for illegal immigration and rewards illegal aliens who not only violate the immigration laws but jump in front of those who follow the rules," he said.
CASA's lawsuit
Jackson added the organization has fought on the federal, state and local level to protect immigrant communities.
In January 2025, We Are CASA filed a lawsuit against President Trump's executive order on birthright citizenship. They argue birthright citizenship is guaranteed within the 14th Amendment and in a federal statute.
"What is at stake is that the case is about equal citizenship in America," Jackson said.
Jackson said We Are CASA won an injunction on their lawsuit but right now it's paused because the government appealed the ruling. She added this Supreme Court hearing is critical for its members because the Supreme Court's decision will determine next steps for their case.
