North Carolina Among States Challenging Birthright Citizenship Order

North Carolina has joined 20 states, the District of Columbia, and San Francisco in a federal lawsuit challenging a new executive order issued by President Donald Trump that seeks to limit birthright citizenship.

The controversial order, signed hours after his inauguration, declares that children born in the United States to certain noncitizen parents will no longer automatically receive U.S. citizenship. The plaintiffs argue this move violates the 14th Amendment, which has guaranteed birthright citizenship for over 150 years.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts, claims the order unlawfully strips citizenship from thousands of children, rendering them stateless, deportable, and ineligible for vital benefits such as Medicaid, federal student aid, and other social services.

States like North Carolina and California warn that the policy will create multigenerational harm and impose significant financial and administrative burdens, particularly on programs funded jointly with federal dollars.

"The Constitution leaves no room for executive reinterpretation on this matter - it is clear, settled, and binding," said Jeff Jackson, North Carolina's attorney general, in a news release. "This order seeks to undermine that clarity, creating legal uncertainty and denying fundamental rights to children born in this country."

Concerned about actions the Trump administration may continue to take against immigrant families in Durham and elsewhere? Check out this special report published by Southpoint Access.

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