NCJW Welcomes US Supreme Court Ruling Upholding Birthright Citizenship

WASHINGTON, DC — The Supreme Court today upheld birthright citizenship, rejecting the Trump administration’s attempt to rewrite the Fourteenth Amendment by executive order.

In response, Darcy Hirsh, vice president of government relations and advocacy at National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) — the nation’s leading Jewish feminist civil rights organization, representing 250,000 changemakers across the United States and Israel — released the following statement:

“Today, we breathe a collective sign of relief as the court upheld the Fourteenth Amendment, guaranteeing that every child born on American soil is an American citizen — a precedent that has stood for more than 150 years. It was reaffirmed by the Supreme Court in 1898, when Chinese American families had to fight to prove they belonged here, and it was reaffirmed again today.

“No president gets to rewrite the Constitution, and no president gets to decide which children born on American soil are American. Today, the Court affirmed what we have always known to be true, upholding a core tenet of our democracy.

“From NCJW’s earliest days in 1893, we have welcomed immigrants and fought for their full inclusion in American life. We know from our own experience as Jews what it means to be told you don’t truly belong — to have your citizenship questioned, and your community othered. That is why birthright citizenship has never been abstract to us, and why we will always fight against any effort to make belonging for anyone conditional.”

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National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) is a 133-year-old Jewish feminist civil rights organization working for equity and justice for women, children, and families in the United States and Israel. Through the efforts of our 250,000 grassroots advocates and 46 local sections, NCJW combines education, direct service, and advocacy to effect lasting social change at the local, state, and national levels. We approach our work through the intersections of gender, economic, and racial justice to center those most impacted in a uniquely Jewish way. Learn more at NCJW.org and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.