Our project will help raise awareness and educate, through social media and local town halls, about the history and importance of protecting the 14th Amendment.
The current administration wants to end birthright citizenship based on interpretation of the 14th Amendment, which states: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and the State wherein they reside."
The arguments made in favor of ending birthright citizenship are arguments about the text of the Constitution, American history, and the rule of law - a comfortable space for elite conservative thinkers to speak in. But its urgency as an issue relies on fears about irreversible cultural change - that continuing to grant birthright citizenship will result in the loss of something irreducibly American. Therefore, bringing awareness about the issue and its impact on the economy is vital.
The U.S. Supreme Court hasn't explicitly ruled that the children of unauthorized immigrants are U.S. citizens. Opponents of birthright citizenship believe the ruling needs to be "clarified." It is our goal to work with Congress, and through local town hall meetings and social media, bring awareness and disseminate facts on the issue in communities outside our current reach. It is our hope that the 14th Amendment recognizes all children born on U.S. soil are American citizens.