Mercer Times

New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin, along with attorneys general from 13 states and the City of San Francisco, has released a statement following a federal judge's decision to grant a preliminary injunction against President Trump's executive order aimed at terminating birthright citizenship. The injunction is part of a multi-state lawsuit led by New Jersey.

"President Trump may believe that he is above the law, but today’s preliminary injunction sends a clear message: He is not a king, and he cannot rewrite the Constitution with the stroke of a pen," stated Attorney General Platkin.

Platkin emphasized that their coalition was ready to challenge this action since it was first promised during Trump's campaign. "We immediately stood up for our Constitution, for the rule of law, and for American children across the country who would have been deprived of their constitutional rights – and today we delivered for them."

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy expressed his approval of the court's decision. "I am thrilled that the court has granted the states’ request for a preliminary injunction against the Trump administration’s unconstitutional executive order," Murphy said.

The coalition aims to stop what they describe as an unlawful action by President Trump that would affect hundreds of thousands of American children and their families. Judge Leo Sorokin granted their request in Massachusetts to invalidate and enjoin any actions taken under this executive order.

The legal basis for birthright citizenship dates back centuries and is protected under the Fourteenth Amendment. The U.S. Supreme Court has consistently upheld that citizenship does not depend on parental immigration status.

If implemented, President Trump's order could result in numerous babies born annually losing their right to citizenship benefits such as federal services, Social Security numbers, passports, voting rights, jury service eligibility, and more.

Moreover, this change could lead to significant financial burdens on states due to potential loss of federal funding linked to programs like Medicaid and foster care assistance which consider resident immigration status.

The legal team handling this case includes Solicitor General Jeremy Feigenbaum and Deputy Solicitors General Shankar Duraiswamy among others. States involved alongside New Jersey include California, Massachusetts, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan among others as well as Washington D.C., Minnesota city authorities in San Francisco also support this effort.