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Published on January 22, 2025
Massachusetts AG Leads Coalition of 18 States in Legal Showdown Against Trump's Birthright Citizenship AxeSource: Wikipedia/Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, along with 17 other states and the District of Columbia, has joined a legal effort against President Trump's Executive Order to end birthright citizenship. The order is being questioned for potentially violating the Fourteenth Amendment. AG Campbell said, "President Trump does not have the authority to take away constitutional rights, and we will fight against his effort to overturn our Constitution and punish innocent babies born in Massachusetts," according to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Trump's proposed order could revoke U.S. citizenship for around 150,000 children born in the country each year. This could impact federal funding for programs like Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which depend on the immigration status of those they serve. The order challenges the interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment, which has guaranteed birthright citizenship since the Supreme Court's 1898 decision in United States v. Wong Kim Ark. If the order is enacted, these children may face challenges such as being unable to obtain a Social Security number or vote. States are seeking to block the order, as reported by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

A group of states, including Massachusetts, New Jersey, and California, is challenging an executive order, citing its potential impact on state programs and its alignment with constitutional law. The legal action is led by Massachusetts officials Jerry Cedrone and Jared Cohen, as stated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.