Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced his participation with 19 other states in a legal challenge against President Donald Trump's executive order to end birthright citizenship. Neronha emphasized the significance of the Fourteenth Amendment, which guarantees citizenship to anyone born in the United States.
"On day one, President Trump moved to use executive power to effectively amend the Constitution in an unprecedented, but not unexpected manner," said Attorney General Neronha. He highlighted that America is largely composed of descendants of immigrants and that this order would deny lawful citizens their rights. "If allowed, this executive order will have far-reaching economic, social, and human rights ramifications," he added.
The executive order conflicts with both the Fourteenth Amendment and Section 1401 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, according to Neronha. The lawsuit has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, seeking to invalidate the order and prevent its implementation through a Temporary Restraining Order and Preliminary Injunction.
Neronha's filing argues that birthright citizenship has historical roots extending back before the Civil War. Although denied by Dred Scott's decision for enslaved persons' descendants, it was later protected by the Fourteenth Amendment post-Civil War. The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld this principle twice, regardless of parents' immigration status.
Neronha warned that if enacted, thousands of children could lose their citizenship benefits and privileges for the first time. Furthermore, federal funding cuts to programs like Medicaid and CHIP could occur, burdening state agencies financially.
Rhode Island's Solicitor General Katherine Connolly Sadeck is handling this matter alongside states including California, New York, Massachusetts, and others as well as San Francisco.