Attorney General Kwame Raoul, along with three other state attorneys general, has filed a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump's executive order that seeks to end birthright citizenship. The coalition argues that the order violates constitutional rights granted to all children born in the United States.
Raoul expressed his disappointment with the executive order, stating: "That one of Donald Trump’s first day in office as president should be so diametrically opposed to our values as Americans is incredibly disappointing, though not surprising. The children born in the U.S. to immigrants are entitled to the rights and privileges that go along with U.S. citizenship."
The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington and seeks to invalidate the executive order and prevent its implementation through a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction.
President Trump's order aims to fulfill his promise of ending birthright citizenship, which Raoul contends is unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment and contradicts Section 1401 of the Immigration and Nationality Act as well as the Administrative Procedure Act. According to Raoul's filing, birthright citizenship has historical roots dating back centuries and has been upheld by two Supreme Court decisions.
The attorneys general argue that if allowed to stand, this executive order will deprive newborns of their basic rights, including eligibility for federal benefits programs, obtaining Social Security numbers, working lawfully upon reaching adulthood, voting rights, jury service eligibility, and passport acquisition.
Raoul emphasized that states would face significant burdens due to this change: "In addition to harming hundreds of thousands of residents...this order will cause states to lose federal funding" for essential programs like Medicaid and foster care assistance.
Joining Attorney General Raoul in this legal challenge are his counterparts from Arizona, Oregon, and Washington.