Blog Post

Protecting the 14th Amendment and Our Constitutional Rights

Trump's attempt to end birthright citizenship threatens the 14th Amendment and the equality it guarantees. This unconstitutional move endangers millions of Americans and undermines our democracy.

President Trump—who just swore an oath to “preserve, protect, and defend” our Constitution—is now attempting to illegally shred one of its most important guarantees of equal rights: the 14th Amendment.

Trump issued an executive order aiming to end birthright citizenship, a move that endangers millions of people born in this country and threatens to permanently reshape what it means to be an American. This action strikes at the heart of our Constitution’s promise of equality and fairness, and we at Common Cause are evaluating our legal options to respond—because we simply can’t let this stand.

The good news is that no president, including Trump, can override an official, ratified part of the U.S. Constitution. However, the bad news is this fact won’t deter him from trying. By doing so, Trump is sowing fear among millions of our neighbors, leaving them to worry they’ll be condemned to permanent second-class status.

This executive order follows his plans to deport thousands of families and community members, showcasing a presidency bent on forcing American immigrants into hiding. Trump is actively denying us all the multi-racial democracy and safe neighborhoods we deserve.

Don’t help Trump shred this core constitutional protection. Protect birthright citizenship and the 14th Amendment today.

Here are the facts: the 14th Amendment of the Constitution guarantees citizenship to anyone born in the United States—plain and simple.

This right, fought for by nearly one million Americans who gave their lives during the Civil War, is one of the most fundamental promises of equality and fairness enshrined in our Constitution. Every person born here is entitled to the same rights, protections, and opportunities—period.

Yet, Trump and his allies are determined to dismantle this constitutional right, even threatening to circumvent our laws to achieve their goal.

The 14th Amendment is clear, and legal experts agree that Trump would likely need to pass a constitutional amendment to overrule it. But Trump and his allies in Congress know they can’t do that, so they’re desperately searching for loopholes to bypass our system of checks and balances.

Whether through an unconstitutional executive order or legislative action, we must speak out now to prevent these attempts to undermine our democracy and constitutional protections.

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