Rights groups sue Trump over new birthright citizenship restrictions

A coalition of civil-rights groups, including the ACLU, Legal Defense Fund, Asian Law Caucus and Democracy Defenders Fund, lodged a legal challenge in a New Hampshire federal court against President Donald Trump’s recent executive orders that aim to limit birthright citizenship. One order tries to broaden the narrow categories of people excluded from automatic citizenship under the 14th Amendment, while the other directs the State Department and Homeland Security to curb “birth tourism.”

The plaintiffs cite a Supreme Court decision from June that rejected Trump’s earlier, broader attempt to end birthright citizenship, asserting that the Court’s ruling precludes any further revisions. They claim the administration is violating the Constitution by attempting to redefine citizenship through executive power. The lawsuit arrives as Republicans continue to spotlight the issue ahead of the November midterms, despite public polls showing strong support for birthright citizenship. Critics within the coalition say the administration is “throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks,” warning that immigrant communities’ rights are at stake.