Amicus Briefs Filed in New Jersey, Doe Cases
(Boston, MA) – February 5, 2025: The Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) filed amicus curiae briefs in lawsuits seeking to block President Trump’s recent birthright citizenship Executive Order 14160. PILF filed the amicus briefs on behalf of former U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese III.
The briefs argue that EO 14160 correctly follows the Fourteenth Amendment by its original intent and opposes any preliminary injunction. The briefs continue:
“The text and legislative history of the Fourteenth Amendment demonstrate that birthright citizenship was intended to apply only to individuals who are fully subject to the political jurisdiction of the United States. This excludes children born to parents who are neither citizens nor lawful permanent residents. The Supreme Court’s precedents support this interpretation. The government’s prior policies reflecting a broader interpretation of birthright citizenship, even if longstanding and commonly accepted, are inconsistent with the Constitution’s text and original meaning.”
The briefs were filed in cases under consideration in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts (New Jersey v. Trump and Doe v. Trump). Frank McNamara serves as local counsel.
Read the amicus briefs here.
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