What if the Supreme Court ends birthright citizenship? A logistical nightmare for all parents in the US
Published in The Independent on
Any U.S. parent who wants their child to recieve citizenship would first have to prove their own citizenship under the president’s proposed executive order
If the Supreme Court were to uphold President Donald Trump’s birthright citizenship executive order, it could render thousands of children stateless and force any parent to prove their citizenship to ensure their child has access to healthcare, social services, education and other basic social services.
On Wednesday, Trump was in attendance as the Supreme Court heard arguments on whether his order to revoke birthright citizenship is constitutional. Typically, anyone born in the U.S., no matter their parents' legal status, has been granted citizenship. Trump is looking to end that policy.
Legal experts and advocates alike have warned of the far-reaching implications if the Supreme Court backs Trump that would first impact immigrants and their children, increasing the population of undocumented immigrants and revoking essential healthcare from pregnant women and babies.
“It would mean, essentially, the creation of second-class residents of the United States, people who can never become fully part of the American community – something that was promised as part of the 14th Amendment,” Noah Baron, the assistant director of litigation at Asian Americans Advancing Justice, told The Independent.
But it would extend to those who are already U.S. citizens, forcing people to prove their legitimacy with copies of their parents' birth certificates or risk losing access to key services.
Baron added that long-term complications could also lead to voter disenfranchisement. He cited the citizenship requirements in the SAVE America Act, a proposed piece of legislation that requires voters to prove they are U.S. citizens before voting in a federal election.
Should the government revoke birth certificates as a form of proof of citizenship, it would mean voters would need to find other ways to prove their identification, such as a passport or driver's license – which often requires a birth certificate to obtain in the first place.
The Trump administration’s attempts to rewrite citizenship requirements are part of the president’s larger agenda to reduce illegal immigration. But perhaps most jarring for some, though, is the idea that allowing the administration to revoke citizenship opens the door for the government to issue new rules around citizenship later.
“Setting aside the implications of the principle of undermining the 14th Amendment, it provides the executive branch a terrifying amount of discretion in terms of how to make these decisions,” Baron said.
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