Statement from Commissioner Rodney Ellis on the Supreme Court Weighing Overturning Birthright Citizenship
150 years ago, the 14th Amendment was enshrined in our Constitution in the aftermath of slavery to end the denial of citizenship. Today, the Supreme Court heard arguments to eliminate the rights this amendment guaranteed.
Ending birthright citizenship would subjugate countless families to permanent second-class status, denationalizing and denying the constitutional rights of millions of people. Undermining these fundamental freedoms to materialize Donald Trump’s racist vision for America is immoral, illegal, and yet another blatant attack on our democracy.