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America First Legal Files Brief to Defend National Security and President Trump’s Executive Order on Birthright Citizenship

Washington, D.C.March 7, 2025

WASHINGTON, D.C. – America First Legal (AFL), partnering with Stone Hilton PLLC, has filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in New Jersey v. Trump, defending America’s national security and supporting President Trump’s Executive Order 14160, “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship.”

AFL’s brief argues that the Fourteenth Amendment’s Citizenship Clause, properly interpreted, does not automatically confer citizenship to every person born on U.S. soil because it requires individuals to be “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States.

The U.S. Supreme Court has long recognized national security as a primary government interest. AFL’s brief asserts that national security implications must be considered in any judicial interpretation of the Citizenship Clause, particularly concerning President Trump’s Executive Order 14160, which seeks to eliminate incentives for unlawful immigration and close loopholes that foreign adversaries can and do exploit. 

Furthermore, AFL’s brief argues that judicial action in this case could significantly impact U.S. foreign policy and the Executive Branch’s ability to respond to national security threats. Immigration and citizenship are intrinsically tied to our nation’s sovereignty and security, and it is critical to uphold the Executive Branch’s authority to protect our nation and keep Americans safe.

AFL is proud to support President Trump’s Executive Order 14160 and will continue fighting to protect American citizenship from foreign adversaries and bad actors seeking to exploit it. 

Read the amicus brief here.

Photo credit: Adobe Stock Images/pijav4uk

America First Legal fights to uphold the rule of law, protect freedom, and advance America First Principles.

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