SIGN: Stop Donald Trump's attack on birthright citizenship!
Dear MoveOn member,
Donald Trump was inaugurated this Monday, and one of his first acts was an assault on the Constitution, recklessly challenging birthright citizenship and reopening the question of who qualifies as an American citizen.1 This dangerous and unprecedented order undermines our fundamental rights and jeopardizes the security and dignity of every person in this country.
Trump knows birthright citizenship is protected by our Constitution. This is another inflammatory effort by Trump and MAGA loyalists to divide the American public and scapegoat immigrant families to distract from their own real agenda of enriching themselves and those in their inner circle.
Already, attorneys general from nearly two dozen states have joined together to sue Trump and block his attacks on birthright citizenship. In addition to wasting federal and state resources fighting this unconstitutional executive order, Trump's attacks on birthright citizenship threaten to create a generation of second-class citizens.
The executive order, set to take effect on February 19—less than 30 days from now—would prohibit federal agencies from recognizing those born in the U.S. as citizens if they have at least one parent who is not legally a citizen or permanent resident.2 We must act immediately in the coming weeks to fight back against this shameful attack on our constitutional rights!
Trump's executive order is not just cruel and inhumane—it's sloppy policy. Trump's attacks on birthright citizenship would sow chaos in communities across the country. As federal and state governments scramble to respond, executive orders like this only serve to waste resources, time, and energy, which could be allocated instead to helping everyday families who desperately need support.
Trump's executive order also opens the door for civil rights violations against any citizen. Trump could direct Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain someone if they can't prove both of their parents had lawful status at the time of their birth.3 It's terrifying to imagine how this executive order could be abused and used to deny virtually any American their basic, fundamental rights.
Attempting to end birthright citizenship was just one of the sweeping immigration-related executive orders Trump signed his first week—and foreshadows the inhumane restrictions yet to come.
Trump's promises of deportation raids and family separation policies are in practice unpopular—morally AND economically. Yet, he remains undeterred, because the true goal isn't efficient policies—it's scapegoating immigrants, fueling division, and creating a distraction while he and his billionaire allies profit at the public's expense. Re-litigating the question of who gets to be a citizen is just another attempt by Trump to divide us and further advance a discriminatory and unwelcoming America.
Thanks for all you do.
–Aliya, Mia, Seth, Alyssa, and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. "A Line-by-Line Breakdown of Trump's Birthright Citizenship Executive Order," The Nation, January 22, 2025
https://act.moveon.org/go/201836?t=8&akid=422167%2E40999114%2EOglHNl
2. "22 states sue to stop Trump’s order blocking birthright citizenship," Associated Press, January 21, 2025
https://act.moveon.org/go/201833?t=10&akid=422167%2E40999114%2EOglHNl
3. "We Will All Be Casualties in Trump's War on Birthright Citizenship," Common Dreams, December 20, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/201837?t=12&akid=422167%2E40999114%2EOglHNl
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