Democratic Caucuses Hold Press Conference on Supreme Court Ruling Upholding Birthright Citizenship

Video of the press conference can be found here.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Congressional Tri-Caucus – including the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), and Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) – along with leaders from the New Democrat Coalition (NDC) and the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) held a press conference following the Supreme Court’s ruling to uphold birthright citizenship.

The Supreme Court ruled in Trump v. Barbara that President Trump’s executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship is unconstitutional, reaffirming the Fourteenth Amendment’s guarantee of citizenship for individuals born on U.S. soil.

“The Supreme Court upheld the promise of birthright citizenship, which was established more than 150 years ago by the Fourteenth Amendment and affirmed in the landmark case United States v. Wong Kim Ark. It is how I, the daughter of immigrants, could become a citizen by birthright and serve in the halls of Congress. It is how millions of Asian Americans, 65 percent of whom are foreign born—more than any other ethnic group—could pursue the American dream. And no wannabe king will ever take that away from us,” said Rep. Grace Meng, Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

“Trump tried to erase one of our nation's clearest constitutional guarantees and he failed. As MAGA extremists push a dangerous and divisive vision rooted in fear and exclusion, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus stands united to defend our Constitution, protect our freedoms, and fight to ensure every child has the opportunity to achieve the American dream,” said Rep. Adriano Espaillat, Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

“The Fourteenth Amendment was written into the Constitution during Reconstruction to ensure that no one could deny or question the citizenship of formerly enslaved Americans because of their race. While this shameful effort has failed, we’re under no illusion that Donald Trump and his allies will stop attacking our fundamental freedoms, our diversity, and the constitutional rights of the American people. We know what we're up against, and House Democrats are not backing down,” said Rep. Troy Carter, First Vice Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.

“No matter your parent's birthplace or language or creed, citizenship is a birthright in this country. No one is born a second-class citizen,  and no president gets to pick who is and is not American. As we breathe a sigh of relief, we also recommit ourselves to the fight to protect the rights of all citizens by reining in this hyperpartisan Supreme Court. It's time to have a Supreme Court that is for the people, and not just for their big donors,” said Rep. Greg Casar, Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

“I was born in the United States the year that my refugee parents were admitted to this great country. It was because America welcomed my refugee parents that I was able to join the Army, start my own business, and now represent California in Congress. My story is not unique—almost every American can trace their family history through the story of immigration. And we cannot let up this fight to protect our fundamental rights,” said Rep. Derek Tran, representing the New Democrat Coalition. 

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