A coalition of Democratic-led states and civil rights groups on Tuesday, 18th of January 2025 launched legal challenges against executive orders signed by President Donald Trump after taking office, including one targeting birthright citizenship in the United States.
The district of Columbia, and the city of San Francisco filed a lawsuit in a federal court in Boston, arguing that Trump’s executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship is a blatant violation of the U.S. Constitution.
The lawsuit follows two similar cases filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), immigrant advocacy groups, and an expectant mother shortly after Trump signed the controversial order. This marks the first major legal pushback against key aspects of Trump’s agenda since he assumed office.
“State attorneys general have been preparing for illegal actions like this one, and today’s immediate lawsuit sends a clear message to the Trump administration that we will stand up for our residents and their basic constitutional rights,” the New Jersey attorney general, Matthew Platkin, said in a statement.
The lawsuits challenge a key component of Trump’s immigration policy, which instructs federal agencies to deny U.S. citizenship to children born in the country if their mothers are undocumented, on temporary visas, or their fathers are not citizens or lawful permanent residents.
If upheld, the order could strip citizenship rights from over 150,000 children born annually in the United States, according to Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell. She stated, “President Trump does not have the authority to take away constitutional rights.”
The complaints emphasize the constitutional protections in the 14th Amendment, which guarantees citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil, as upheld by the 1898 Supreme Court ruling in United States v. Wong Kim Ark.
The plaintiffs include a Massachusetts resident identified as “O Doe,” a woman with temporary protected status (TPS) who is due to give birth in March. TPS covers over 1 million people from 17 countries affected by natural disasters, armed conflicts, or other crises.
Broader Legal Challenges Expected
The White House has not responded to requests for comment on the lawsuits. Meanwhile, legal challenges against other Trump initiatives are already in motion.
Democratic-led states and advocacy groups have also filed cases against the Musk-led “department of government efficiency” and an executive order that weakens job protections for federal civil servants.
On Monday, the National Treasury Employees Union, representing workers across 37 federal agencies, filed a separate lawsuit opposing an order that makes it easier to dismiss federal employees and replace them with political appointees.
Legal experts anticipate that rulings from federal courts in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, where the cases have been filed, will be reviewed by the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston. This court is notable for its five active judges, all of whom were appointed by Democratic presidents.
The outcomes of these lawsuits could have far-reaching implications for constitutional rights and immigration policy in the United States. Stay tuned for updates as these cases unfold.
