The authorities of four more states have announced that they will appeal in court the order of US President Donald Trump restricting the granting of US citizenship by birth.
The total number of states opposing the new administration's decision has increased to 22.
Earlier, the New Jersey attorney general's office announcedthat authorities in 18 US states and the capital, the District of Columbia, would appeal Trump's executive order in a court in Massachusetts. After them, a separate lawsuit challenging the document signed by Trump was filed by the authorities of the states of Washington, Oregon, Arizona and Illinois. The case will be heard in the District Court of Washington.
As stated in a statement on the website of the Washington State Attorney General, the appeal states that "the President does not have the power to abrogate the Constitution and no constitutional or statutory provision gives him the power to determine who should or should not be granted U.S. citizenship by birth."
"If left in force, this unconstitutional and un-American decision will deprive thousands of newborns and children of the opportunity to participate fully and fairly in American society as citizens, despite constitutional guarantees," the report notes.
Earlier, Trump signed an executive order limiting the granting of U.S. citizenship by birth. According to Reuters, the decree provides for restrictions on granting American citizenship by birth to children of illegal immigrants.
In late December 2024, the television channel CNN, citing sources, reported that the Trump team was considering various options for eliminating American citizenship by birth.
The publication notes that the Republican team does not rule out the possibility of tightening the rules for issuing tourist visas to combat “birth tourism“. In addition, the channel noted that the State Department may be prohibited from “issuing passports to children if their parents do not have documents“.