Immigration and Citizenship
Citizenship and the 14th Amendment
The birthright citizenship controversy and the burning question of whether children of illegal immigrants should continue to be granted citizenship just because they’re born on American soil.
It’s a constitutional right: If you are born on American soil, you are an American citizen. Now, some leading Republicans say it’s time to rethink this 14th amendment “birthright citizenship.”
They say illegal immigrants and “birth tourists” are coming to the United States to “drop” their babies– and a nation with enough troubles is paying the price. Is it just a political salvo in a mid-term election year? Or should the Constitution be changed?
More from Immigration and Citizenship
March 12, 2026
March Newsletter: CAC Fights for Immigrant Rights at the Supreme Court
March 17, 2026Originalist-Oriented Briefs in the Birthright Citizenship Case (and a Counterargument by Elias Neibart)
Respondent-side amicus briefs were due at the Supreme Court Thursday and (as one would expect)...
March 2, 2026
Slavery and Birthright Citizenship
All the Trump Administration’s arguments for denying birthright citizenship to children of undocumented immigrants are...
March 2, 2026
Birthright citizenship: A note on foundlings and comments on four complementary amicus briefs
Foundlings – babies born of unknown parentage – loomed large in the imagination of mid-19th...
U.S. Supreme Court
Trump v. Barbara
In Trump v. Barbara, the Supreme Court is considering the constitutionality of the Trump Administration’s executive order purporting to limit birthright citizenship to children who have at least one parent who is a citizen or...
February 24, 2026
ICE Took Their Papers—and Won’t Give Them Back
Immigrants are being released from detention without documents proving their status.