NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today released the following statement after the United States Supreme Court partially stayed the preliminary injunctions on the president’s birthright citizenship executive order and sent the issue back to lower courts for further action:
“Today’s decision is a profound and disappointing setback for the families who now face tremendous uncertainty and danger, for the millions of people who rely on the courts to protect their constitutional rights, and for the fundamental rule of law.
“Every child born on U.S. soil is a citizen of this country, no matter which state they are born in. This has been the law of the land for more than a century.
“This is not over. While I am confident that our case defending birthright citizenship will ultimately prevail, my heart breaks for the families whose lives may be upended by the uncertainty of this decision. My fellow attorneys general and I will continue to defend the Constitution and the common values that unite us.”
On January 21, Attorney General James and 18 other states sued to block the president’s unconstitutional executive order purporting to end birthright citizenship. On February 13, the court granted the coalition’s motion for a preliminary injunction, which was later upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Today, the Supreme Court partially stayed the preliminary injunction and sent the issue back to the lower courts to narrow their order.
