Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha joined 23 other attorneys general on Apr. 1 in issuing a joint statement ahead of the U.S. Supreme Court’s oral arguments in Trump v. Barbara, a case concerning birthright citizenship.
The group of attorneys general said the President’s executive order that redefines birthright citizenship is unconstitutional and violates longstanding federal law. The coalition emphasized their previous legal actions to stop the order from taking effect and expressed confidence in their position before the nation’s highest court.
“The President’s executive order redefining birthright citizenship violates our Constitution, federal statutes, and the rule that has governed our Nation for more than 150 years. We were proud to lead the fight against this unlawful order, and grateful for the injunctions we obtained that prevented this action from ever taking effect. We are optimistic the U.S. Supreme Court will agree with every judge to consider this executive order on the merits and hold that it violates this fundamental constitutional right,” Neronha said in a statement issued by his office.
The attorneys general joining Neronha represent Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai’i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia, Washington State and Wisconsin as well as the District of Columbia.
The outcome of Trump v. Barbara could have significant implications for how citizenship is determined in the United States moving forward.
