Attorney General Brenna Bird Continues Support for President Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Policy

DES MOINES—Attorney General Brenna Bird announced today she is co-leading with Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti a coalition of 26 states and territories in support of President Trump’s birthright citizenship executive order.  

On his first day in office, President Trump issued an executive order to stop automatic birthright citizenship for illegal immigrants and birth tourists. The states highlight significant constitutional and policy concerns as to why President Trump’s policy should be allowed to go into effect.    

The states’ brief explains that the Fourteenth Amendment never intended to grant automatic citizenship to tourists or illegal aliens who are coming into our country to have children. Recent reporting has raised even more concerns about foreign nationals trying to abuse birthright citizenship for their own purposes. The Supreme Court will hear arguments for the case in April.  

“Our Constitution was not written with the intent to reward people for breaking the law,” said Attorney General Bird. “President Trump’s executive order closes the birthright citizenship loophole and restores the Constitution's original intent. I am grateful the Supreme Court agreed to take up this important matter, and for the states that joined us to support this important policy.”  

Iowa co-led the brief with Tennessee; they were joined by Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Guam, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming.   

Read the full brief here.  

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For More Information:

Jen Green 

jen.green@ag.iowa.gov