State of California Department of Justice
Rob Bonta
Attorney General
Attorney General
OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today celebrated a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court affirming the constitutional right to birthright citizenship and striking down President Trump's executive order purporting to terminate that right. Attorney General Bonta co-led a multistate coalition in challenging the executive order just one day after the President took office.
"Today's decision affirms a foundational tenet of American democracy: that every child born in this country, no matter their background, is equal under the law and can pursue the American Dream," said Attorney General Bonta. "It's unconscionable that just hours after swearing to uphold the Constitution, President Trump attempted to rewrite history and the clear text of the 14th Amendment with an executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship. The Supreme Court's decision today is a reminder that, no matter what he might wish, Trump is not a king. I'm proud to have led a multistate coalition to defend birthright citizenship. Rest assured: we will continue to fight to uphold the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution against tyranny in all its forms."
BACKGROUND
On his first day in office in 2025, President Trump issued an executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to undocumented parents or parents who are here on a legal, temporary basis. Attorney General Bonta immediately co-led a multistate coalition in filing a lawsuit challenging the order and repeatedly obtained nationwide preliminary injunctions that blocked this order from ever taking effect.
The Supreme Court considered the validity of this order in a separate case, Trump v. Barbara, brought by a class of children who would lose citizenship under the order. Attorney General Bonta co-led another coalition of attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in support of the plaintiffs in that case.