'Historic victory for American Dream': Former WH advisor hails SC ruling on birthright citizenship
By Reena Bhardwaj, Washington DC, June 30
Ajay Bhutoria, former White House advisor to former President Joe Biden, on Tuesday hailed the decision by the US Supreme Court to uphold birthright citizenship, underlining how it upholds the American dream and a promise to the South Asian diaspora and millions of immigrant families who have contributed to nation-building.
His remarks come as the US Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down President Donald Trump's executive order and upheld birthright citizenship for all children born in the United States.
American broadcaster CNN shared the court document, which mentioned that children born in the United States to parents who are unlawfully or temporarily present in the country are entitled to automatic US citizenship under the Citizenship Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Bhutoria, who is also an immigration advocate, said, "The Supreme Court's decision to uphold birthright citizenship is a historic victory for justice, the U.S. Constitution, and the American Dream. By protecting the 14th Amendment, the Court has rejected a harmful attempt to create a tiered system of citizenship and strip rights from children born on U.S. soil."
Bhutoria said that they look forward towards celebrating 250 years of America; the ruling reaffirms the foundational promise, "That has made our nation a beacon of freedom and opportunity for two and a half centuries."
He underlined how the South Asian diaspora and millions of immigrant families have contributed to the nation-building of the United States and that the ruling reaffirms America as the land of "equal opportunity."
"For decades, the South Asian diaspora and millions of immigrant families have contributed to the fabric, economy, and culture of this nation...This ruling ensures that America remains a land of equal opportunity where a child's future is not determined by their parents' immigration status."
The Court also relied on its earlier ruling in United States v. Wong Kim Ark, which established that children born in the US to foreign parents are entitled to birthright citizenship.
The New York Times reported that civil rights groups on Tuesday rejoiced as the Supreme Court struck down the Trump administration's executive order.
Deborah Fleischaker, a former Homeland Security official now with the Latino group UnidosUS, called it "a huge relief."
CNN mentioned that one of the main arguments that President Donald Trump's attorneys had raised was that the 14th Amendment required people to be domiciled -- or with the intention of remaining -- in the United States before being entitled to birthright citizenship.
On the hearing, the American broadcaster reported that Chief Justice John Roberts said, "Citizenship, then and now, was the right to have rights -- to freely participate in our political community," Roberts wrote for the court. "The Framers of the Fourteenth Amendment extended that promise to 'every free-born person in this land.' We keep that promise today."
The major blow to Trump comes as one of the key issues on which he ran for the 2nd term was towards ending "birth tourism", with Trump 2.0 coming down heavily on both legal and illegal immigration.
— ANI
Reader Comments
"Birth tourism" is a real issue, but this ruling is correct. The Supreme Court chose the Constitution over politics. America was founded on principles of equality and opportunity, not on discriminating against children.
I understand the concerns about illegal immigration, but punishing children for their parents' actions is wrong. My cousin's kid was born in Texas and is a US citizen - this ruling gives them a fair chance at life. Well done, Supreme Court.
As a naturalized citizen from India, I'm grateful for this decision. But we should also discuss reforming the legal immigration system. The H1B backlog is killing dreams. Hope both parties focus on fixing that now.
Trump's executive order was always going to be unconstitutional. The 14th Amendment is clear - anyone born on US soil is a citizen. This isn't just about immigration; it's about basic human dignity. So proud of the Indian-American community's advocacy here.
"Birthright citizenship" is a sensible policy. Countries like Canada and India also have it. It prevents creating a permanent underclass. Trump's team argued about "domicile intent" - that's just a fancy way to target brown and black families. Glad the court saw through it.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.