What might the the Michigan effect of ending birthright citizenship look like?
(CBS DETROIT) — President Trump signed more than 100 executive orders and actions on his first day in office, and a number of those decisions could have significant impacts in Michigan. One notable move is addressing the constitutional law of birthright citizenship.
On Tuesday, Mr. Trump issued a new executive order challenging its validity in the U.S. The administration argues that the 14th Amendment "has always excluded from birthright citizenship persons who were born in the United States but not 'subject to the jurisdiction thereof.'"
University of Michigan-Dearborn political science professor Mitchel Sollenberger says the scope of that decision could be hard to pin down.
"That could affect everyone, not just immigrants coming to the United States lawfully or unlawfully, but people who are U.S. citizens and can trace their lineage back generations upon generations," said Sollenberger.
Right now, the order would exclude babies who are born to parents who are "unlawfully" present or have "lawful but temporary" status in the U.S. from automatic citizenship after Feb. 19.
Sollenberger says the implications of trying to change a law that has been in place for more than 150 years reach far greater than one leader's choices.
"What you have really is not just a legal construct, but it's a political argument that what we are facing as a country is an invasion. It's putting the federal government on a footing of war, as opposed to addressing immigration as merely a civil violation," said Sollenberger.
In Detroit, organizations like Latin Americans for Social and Economic Development (LA SED) are focused on addressing the fears and concerns that the new executive orders may be causing.
"We advocate for so many things in this community, and of course, this was a natural fit to try to provide the community with as much information as possible on the current administration changes and their effect on immigration," said Mary Carmen Muñoz, executive director of LA SED.
In response, LA SED is working to empower residents by handing out flyers explaining what to do if authorities come to your business and cards explaining their rights.
"It's so easy to say you shouldn't be worried if you're a citizen. You should be worried if you're a citizen. These administration changes are not going to just stop at immigration issues. They are going to affect other rights and freedoms that everyone enjoys," said Muñoz.
Three lawsuits have been filed in the hours since over the executive order, with one from a group of 18 democratic state attorneys general that includes Michigan's, which says "the president has no authority to rewrite or nullify a constitutional amendment."
The filing also argues that children denied automatic citizenship "will live under a constant threat of deportation," potentially meaning they'd be under some degree of jurisdiction of the United States.
Sollenberger says that division could ultimately lead to lasting consequences.
"How is citizenship guaranteed now and how do they ensure that citizenship is guaranteed? You were born here and if that's not the construct we live under, then everybody is affected by that because now you've got to prove that you are a citizen," said Sollenberger.
CBS News Detroit spoke with local Republicans who didn't want to be interviewed on camera but said that the order's purpose is to ensure that those who are legally allowed to be in this country stay and remove those who are not.
