Key Takeaways
• On May 29, 2025, civil rights groups opposed Trump’s Executive Order to end birthright citizenship.
• The order targets children born in the US to undocumented or temporarily legal immigrant parents.
• The Fourteenth Amendment guarantees birthright citizenship, which the order legally challenges in the Ninth Circuit.
A major legal battle is unfolding in the United States 🇺🇸 over the future of birthright citizenship, a right guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. On May 29, 2025, the League of Women Voters, together with several leading civil rights groups, filed a court brief opposing President Trump’s Executive Order that seeks to end birthright citizenship for children born in the United States 🇺🇸 to undocumented immigrants or temporary legal residents. This move has sparked intense debate, legal scrutiny, and concern among immigrant communities, legal experts, and voting rights advocates across the country.
This article explains what’s happening, why it matters, and what it could mean for millions of people in the United States 🇺🇸. We’ll look at the legal arguments, the history behind birthright citizenship, the broader context of voting rights, and what comes next in this high-stakes legal fight.
What’s at Stake: The Executive Order and Birthright Citizenship
Who: President Trump issued an Executive Order targeting birthright citizenship. The League of Women Voters, NAACP, Equal Justice Society, and other civil rights organizations are challenging it in court.
What: The Executive Order aims to deny U.S. citizenship to children born in the United States 🇺🇸 if their parents are undocumented immigrants or only have temporary legal status.
When: The latest legal brief was filed on May 29, 2025. The legal battle has been ongoing since earlier this year.
Where: The case is currently before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which covers several western states.
Why: The League of Women Voters and its partners argue that the Executive Order violates the Fourteenth Amendment and threatens the rights of millions of Americans.
How: The coalition is using legal briefs, court filings, and public statements to oppose the order and defend birthright citizenship.
The Fourteenth Amendment: What Does It Say?
The Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is clear: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” This means that anyone born on U.S. soil is automatically a citizen, regardless of their parents’ immigration status.
This principle, known as birthright citizenship, was added after the Civil War to make sure that Black Americans, who had been denied citizenship under slavery, would be recognized as full citizens. It was a direct response to the infamous Dred Scott decision, which said that Black people could not be citizens. The Fourteenth Amendment overturned that ruling and set a new standard for who is an American.
For more details on the Fourteenth Amendment and citizenship, you can visit the official U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) page on citizenship.
Why the League of Women Voters Is Fighting the Executive Order
The League of Women Voters has a long history of defending voting rights and equal citizenship. In this case, the League argues that President Trump’s Executive Order is not only unconstitutional but also dangerous for democracy.
Key arguments from the League of Women Voters and its partners:
- Unconstitutional: The Executive Order directly contradicts the Fourteenth Amendment, which guarantees citizenship to anyone born in the United States 🇺🇸.
- Racial Justice: The order would “drastically reshape the electorate and reimpose a racial hierarchy previously abolished by the Reconstruction Amendments,” according to the League’s court filing.
- Threat to Democracy: By denying citizenship to certain children, the order could create a new class of people without rights, especially affecting Black Americans and other communities of color.
- Historical Context: The Fourteenth Amendment was designed to protect the rights of people who had been excluded from citizenship, especially Black Americans. Changing this rule would go against the original purpose of the amendment.
Celina Stewart, Chief Executive Officer of the League of Women Voters, put it simply: “The Fourteenth Amendment is unequivocal and clear: any person born in the United States is a US citizen. This administration’s attempt to blatantly disregard the Constitution is deeply chilling, a direct attack on Black Americans, and fundamentally at odds with the promise of American democracy and personhood.”
Legal and Historical Background: Why Birthright Citizenship Matters
Birthright citizenship is not just a technical rule—it’s a core part of what it means to be American. After the Civil War, the United States 🇺🇸 added the Fourteenth Amendment to make sure that all people born in the country, especially former slaves and their children, would be citizens with equal rights.
Before this amendment, the Supreme Court’s Dred Scott decision had said that Black people could never be citizens. The Fourteenth Amendment was meant to fix this injustice and prevent future governments from denying citizenship based on race or ancestry.
Legal experts involved in the current case say that President Trump’s Executive Order threatens to bring back some of the same problems the Fourteenth Amendment was supposed to solve. Mona Tawatao, Legal Director of the Equal Justice Society, explained: “Birthright citizenship is foundational to ensuring Black Americans’ humanity, equality, and full place in our democracy. This is what the drafters of the Fourteenth Amendment intended.”
The Broader Pattern: Voting Rights and Citizenship Under Attack
The fight over birthright citizenship is part of a larger trend of legal battles over voting rights and citizenship requirements in the United States 🇺🇸. In recent years, there have been several attempts to change how people prove their citizenship when registering to vote or to limit who can vote in federal elections.
Recent related legal challenges include:
- April 24, 2025: A federal judge temporarily blocked a rule that would have required people to show documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote using the federal form. This case, League of Women Voters et. al. v. Trump et. al., was another major win for voting rights groups.
- April 1, 2025: A coalition of voting rights organizations filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, challenging another executive order on voting. They argued that the president was trying to take powers that belong to Congress and the states.
- May 14, 2025: Civil rights groups, including the League of Women Voters of Louisiana, sued to stop Louisiana’s Senate Bill 436, which requires voter registration applicants to submit proof of U.S. citizenship.
These cases show a pattern: new rules and executive orders that make it harder for some people—especially people of color and immigrants—to prove their citizenship and participate in elections.
What Are the Possible Consequences If the Executive Order Stands?
If President Trump’s Executive Order on birthright citizenship is allowed to take effect, it could have far-reaching consequences for millions of people in the United States 🇺🇸.
Potential impacts include:
- Creation of a Disenfranchised Class: Children born in the United States 🇺🇸 to undocumented immigrants or temporary residents could be denied citizenship, creating a group of people with fewer rights and protections.
- Disproportionate Impact on Communities of Color: Civil rights organizations warn that the order would hit Black Americans and other communities of color the hardest, reversing decades of progress toward racial equality.
- Voting Rights at Risk: Without citizenship, people cannot vote in federal elections. The order could reduce the number of eligible voters and weaken the voice of minority communities.
- Legal Uncertainty: The order raises big questions about the power of the president to change constitutional rights through executive action. If allowed, it could set a precedent for future presidents to change other fundamental rights.
- Administrative Challenges: Proving citizenship could become much harder. According to analysis from VisaVerge.com, more than 21 million Americans—almost 10% of voting-age adults—do not have the documents needed to prove their citizenship. New requirements could block many eligible voters from participating in elections.
Voices from the Legal Battle
Several leaders from the organizations challenging the Executive Order have spoken out about why this fight matters:
- Olivia Sedwick, Counsel, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law: “The Reconstruction Amendments were designed to ensure that Black and Brown people had the same rights and access as white people in this country… This executive order is not only unconstitutional, but it is deeply ahistorical and regressive.”
- Janette McCarthy Wallace, NAACP Chief General Counsel: “This executive order is a direct assault on the Constitution and the fundamental rights it guarantees. By attempting to strip birthright citizenship from native-born Americans, it threatens to resurrect a shameful, exclusionary past.”
These statements highlight the deep concern among civil rights groups that the Executive Order could undo hard-won gains in equality and citizenship.
How the Legal Process Works: What Happens Next?
The case is now before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The court will review the legal arguments and decide whether the Executive Order can stand or must be struck down.
What to expect:
- Court Hearings: The court will hold hearings where both sides present their arguments.
- Possible Appeals: No matter what the Ninth Circuit decides, the losing side could appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
- Related Cases: Other lawsuits about voting rights and citizenship requirements are moving through the courts at the same time. The outcomes of these cases could affect each other.
While the courts decide, a temporary injunction (a court order stopping the rule from taking effect) is in place for some related voting requirements. This means that, for now, people do not have to show extra documents to register to vote using the federal form.
What Should Immigrants, Families, and Voters Do Now?
If you or your family could be affected by changes to birthright citizenship or voting rules, here are some steps you can take:
- Stay Informed: Follow updates from trusted organizations like the League of Women Voters and official government sources.
- Check Your Documents: Make sure you have copies of your birth certificate, passport, or other proof of citizenship if you have them.
- Know Your Rights: The Fourteenth Amendment still protects birthright citizenship unless the courts decide otherwise.
- Get Legal Help: If you have questions about your status or your child’s citizenship, talk to a qualified immigration lawyer or a trusted legal aid group.
- Register to Vote: If you are a citizen and eligible, make sure you are registered to vote. You can find official information and forms on the USA.gov voter registration page.
The Bigger Picture: Why This Fight Matters for American Democracy
The debate over birthright citizenship is about more than just legal rules—it’s about who gets to be an American and who has a voice in the country’s future. The League of Women Voters and its partners believe that taking away birthright citizenship would harm democracy, weaken civil rights, and divide the country.
This legal battle will likely set important precedents for how the United States 🇺🇸 interprets its Constitution, protects its people, and defines what it means to be a citizen. As reported by VisaVerge.com, the outcome could affect not just immigrants and their children, but all Americans who care about equal rights and fair elections.
Conclusion: What Comes Next?
The fight over President Trump’s Executive Order on birthright citizenship is far from over. The courts will decide whether the order stands or falls, but the debate has already raised big questions about the meaning of citizenship, the power of the president, and the future of American democracy.
For now, birthright citizenship remains protected by the Fourteenth Amendment. But the outcome of this case—and others like it—will shape the lives of millions of people for years to come. Stay informed, know your rights, and make your voice heard in this important moment for the United States 🇺🇸.
Learn Today
Birthright Citizenship → Legal right to US citizenship for anyone born on US soil, as per the Fourteenth Amendment.
Executive Order → A presidential directive that manages operations of the federal government, subject to legal challenges.
Fourteenth Amendment → Constitutional amendment guaranteeing citizenship to all born or naturalized in the United States.
League of Women Voters → Nonpartisan organization advocating for voting rights and democracy, active in legal challenges.
Ninth Circuit Court → Federal appellate court covering western US states, currently hearing birthright citizenship cases.
This Article in a Nutshell
The fight over birthright citizenship challenges President Trump’s Executive Order denying citizenship to children of undocumented immigrants. Legal experts and civil rights groups defend the Fourteenth Amendment, warning this threatens democracy, racial justice, and voting rights. The Ninth Circuit Court will decide on this historic constitutional battle in 2025.
— By VisaVerge.com
