Attorney General James and 19 Attorneys General Issue Joint Statement on Supreme Court Birthright Citizenship Injunction Arguments

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today joined a coalition of 19 other attorneys general in issuing the below statement following today’s oral arguments defending the nationwide injunction against the president’s illegal executive order ending birthright citizenship at the U.S. Supreme Court:

“We were proud to stand together to defend birthright citizenship and the rule of law at the U.S. Supreme Court today. For 127 years, the law has been clear: if you are born in this country, you are a citizen of the United States. Administrations of both parties have consistently respected that right ever since. As every court to have considered the policy agrees, the president’s attempt to end birthright citizenship is patently unconstitutional.

"The Trump administration’s argument before the Supreme Court today—that the president should be permitted to strip American citizenship from people based solely on the state in which they happen to be born—would upend settled law and produce widespread chaos and disruption.

“The president cannot rewrite the Constitution and contradict the Supreme Court’s own holdings with the stroke of a pen.”

Joining Attorney General James in issuing this statement are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia.