On day one of his second
presidency, Donald Trump wasted no time issuing
multiple executive orders to trample on so much of what
makes the United States great.
One of
the most devastating moves was his attempt
to end birthright citizenship — a Constitutional
Amendment that guarantees citizenship to all children
born in the United
States.
Birthright
citizenship has been around for over 150 years, ushering
in generations of children, giving them a chance to live
life as an United States
citizen. Birthright citizenship means
children born here have all the same rights as their
peers — the right to an education, the right to
healthcare, the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit
of happiness.
Stripping birthright citizenship
from any child that is born in the United States is not
only encouraging further division in our country,
but it is a cruel refusal to care for every
child equally.
Ending birthright
citizenship now would be targeting already
vulnerable communities that are
terrified of what Trump, a known opponent of
compassionate and effective immigration policies, will
do in the coming months. Trump has already
promised mass deportations and made schools the possible
targets of immigration
raids.
Luckily,
ending birthright citizenship will not be as easy as
Trump would like: the executive order has already been
blocked by a federal judge as unconstitutional, and the
legal battle will likely be long and arduous for
Trump.
Congress does have the power to
pass a law or a new Constitutional Amendment upholding
Trump's desired change, which is why we must implore
them to stand strong. We demand that Congress
protect the children and families that call this country
home. Sign the petition demanding
Congress do everything in its power to keep birthright
citizenship
intact!
