SOCIAL JUSTICE BLOG
Read and share extraordinary stories from the frontlines of social change
History of Birthright Citizenship: A Founding Principle of the U.S.
The Supreme Court will likely rule on Barbara v. Trump in the next few weeks. This ruling may terminate birthright citizenship, a vital right that has protected the rights of children born in the U.S. since the country’s founding.
This blog post explores the history of birthright citizenship and the 14th amendment.
Birthright Citizenship: America’s Founding Promise Under Threat
On January 20th, 2025, President Donald Trump issued Executive Order 14160, titled “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship,” aiming to end birthright citizenship. In response, numerous civil rights groups, including the ACLU, the Asian Law Caucus, and the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, filed a class action lawsuit named Barbara v. Trump. The lawsuit, one of many pending cases on the issue, argues that EO 14160 is incongruent with the history and text of the 14th Amendment, Supreme Court case law, federal statute, and the understanding and practice of all three branches of the federal government for more than a hundred years.
Immigrant Injustice: It Started as a Normal Day at Work...
It started as a normal day at work. I was a cashier at Lam’s Supermarket. One minute, I was ringing up someone’s purchases; the next I looked up and there were Sheriff’s deputies everywhere. I didn’t know what was going on but I could tell something was wrong and texted my mom to tell her that the police were there. The deputies came over to handcuff me, take my phone and my purse away. I couldn’t stop crying and no one would explain to me what was happening.
Their Day in Court: Obtaining Justice for New Mexico’s Poorest Workers
Robert was attacked by a bull while working at the dairy where he had been employed for seven years. His injuries left him permanently disabled. He had no health insurance and no workers’ compensation. In almost constant pain, he could not work. Although his wife began working three jobs, they still lost their home. Two years later, the strain broke up their family. Robert became homeless and estranged from his children.