Today, the Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling in the case of Trump vs. Barbara recognizing an enshrined protection of the 14th Amendment as guaranteeing birthright citizenship.
The inalienable Light of all of God’s children is not conferred by law or inherited from one’s parents. This ruling rejects a revisionist interpretation of a foundational American principle and reaffirms that every child born in the United States belongs and is entitled to citizenship and equal rights. That the identity and promise of this country have been shaped by generations of people from around the world building a new home, striving for diverse and inclusive communities.
This ruling reaffirms that every child born in the United States belongs and is entitled to citizenship and equal rights.
The history of the 14th Amendment is one of resisting a racialized history of who should be an American. The 14th Amendment signified the repudiation of the shameful Dred Scott decision, which ascribed race as a legal prerequisite to citizenship. The case of Wong Kim Ark later cemented the 14th Amendment’s universal guarantee of citizenship to all children born on American soil.
Today’s ruling is an affirmation of what should have already been seen as clear law and practice. Yet, on the door of this nation’s 250th anniversary, it is also a confirmation that the struggle for true belonging and undisputed constitutional protections for all continues.
By seeking to dismantle birthright citizenship, President Trump sought to turn back the clock and undo generations of progress toward a more just and inclusive democracy. Beyond this case, we’ve seen the Trump administration and a complacent Congress repeatedly allow people, with citizenship and all other statuses, to have their rights trampled and Light threatened. Through every pervasive challenge to the rights and liberties of God’s creations, FCNL will remain a persistent voice seeking a world where everyone’s dignity is respected, in law and in truth.
