Local Leaders Applaud Decision to Affirm Birthright Citizenship in the United States
Local Officials Rejoice After Core Elements of the 14th Amendment are Upheld by the Supreme Court
Washington, D.C. – Today, the United States Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in favor of upholding one of the core components of the 14th Amendment: Birthright Citizenship. The Trump v. Barbara case has been a fundamental part of this administration’s attempt to remake our nation’s history to be in line with its white supremacist values. In addition to inciting violent ICE raids and detaining Green Card holders without due process, this attempt to undo decades of precedent around citizenship rights was a blatant attack on immigrant communities that have been essential to the cultural fabric and history of the United States. The failure of the Administration’s latest attempts shows how desperate they are to villainize immigrants in an effort to distract the public from their failures to address people’s basic demands of affordability.
“As a first-generation immigrant myself, I feel the impacts of this case in my bones. My family and I have been able to build a future for ourselves in the United States, only because our question of citizenship was not thrown into chaos as this administration intended,” said Las Cruces (New Mexico) City Councilor Johana Bencomo. “I am proud to serve as a City Councilor of Las Cruces, New Mexico, not only as an American, but as a first-generation immigrant as well. Despite the best efforts of the Trump Administration, the Supreme Court has affirmed what we all know — immigrants make this country stronger.”
As a network of local elected officials, Local Progress has heard from municipal leaders across the country concerned about the impact of this case. Hundreds of local leaders have spoken out on the impact an unfavorable ruling could have, not only causing confusion but also putting millions of Americans in the crosshairs of ICE’s deportation machine. Questioning the established precedent of birthright citizenship stoked fear among communities across the country, and left many local leaders unsure if major parts of their community could lose their rights overnight.
“While today’s victory should certainly be celebrated, the fact that it was even considered should be a stain on our moral conscience. The precedent of birthright citizenship is not only clear, but has been settled time and time again,” said Ivan Luevanos-Elms, Executive Director of Local Progress. “This case is a clear example of the growing politicization of the Supreme Court and its willingness to stray far from not only public opinion, but from the U.S. Constitution. We are thrilled to celebrate today, but this case should have never been taken up in the first place.”
The January 20, 2025, executive order ending the longstanding practice of naturalizing individuals born in the United States had the potential to plunge local communities into chaos. Stripping individuals of American citizenship would not only make them targets for the Administration’s expanded deportation program, but also cause massive confusion as to the rights and benefits of millions of Americans. While the Trump Administration attempted to rest on the simplicity of their order, stripping the citizenship of millions of Americans would cause disarray for local officials across the country, with little to no guidance from the federal government.
“This past year, the Trump Administration has wreaked havoc on our communities nationwide, and especially here in Minnesota. But if I’ve learned anything from the federal government’s violent ICE raids and attacks on our immigrant families and neighbors, it’s that our communities stand up for each other,” said Ramsey County (Minnesota) Commissioner Mai Chong Xiong. “We protect one another. We support one another. And we refuse to let this administration’s hateful actions define who we are. This case was yet another attempt by the Trump Administration to villainize our neighbors, and we are not falling for it.”
“As a collection of Latine local officials from across the Local Progress network, we are overjoyed that the Supreme Court has reaffirmed birthright citizenship as a clear and inalienable right. Clarity on this fundamental issue has brought an end to months of anxious waiting for the thousands of communities we represent,” said Estevan Zárate, Round Rock ISD School Board (Texas) Trustee and Local Progress Nuestro Caucus Member. “We have prepared for the worst for months – not only for the uncertainty but for the potential deportation of millions of our neighbors. But the courts have made the intent of the law clear and ensured the fundamental protection of all of our immigrant neighbors remains fundamental to our democracy.”
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