New York Attorney General Letitia James, alongside 19 other attorneys general, issued a statement after oral arguments at the U.S. Supreme Court regarding a nationwide injunction against an executive order aimed at ending birthright citizenship.
The coalition expressed their unified stance: “We were proud to stand together to defend birthright citizenship and the rule of law at the U.S. Supreme Court today. For 127 years, the law has been clear: if you are born in this country, you are a citizen of the United States. Administrations of both parties have consistently respected that right ever since."
They argued that "the president’s attempt to end birthright citizenship is patently unconstitutional," emphasizing that all courts considering this policy agree with their position.
Addressing the Trump administration's argument presented to the Supreme Court, they stated it "would upend settled law and produce widespread chaos and disruption" by allowing the president to revoke American citizenship based on birthplace.
The statement concluded with a firm assertion: “The president cannot rewrite the Constitution and contradict the Supreme Court’s own holdings with the stroke of a pen.”
Attorney General James was joined by her counterparts from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia in issuing this statement.