Supreme Court Weighs Birthright Citizenship — What’s at Stake

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 1, 2026

CONTACT:
Media Team, [email protected]

NALEO Educational Fund Sounds Alarm as Supreme Court

Weighs Elimination of Birthright Citizenship

Statement from NALEO Educational Fund CEO Erica Bernal-Martinez on

Start of Oral Arguments in Trump v. Barbara

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials

(NALEO) Educational Fund released the following statement from CEO Erica Bernal-Martinez

ahead of the start of oral arguments in Trump v. Barbara:

"Today, the Supreme Court hears oral arguments in Trump v. Barbara, a case that strikes at the heart of one of our Constitution's most fundamental guarantees. Stripping birthright citizenship from children born on U.S. soil is not only legally indefensible - it is a deliberate attempt to rewrite the 14^th Amendment and determine who truly belongs in America.

"For more than 150 years, birthright citizenship has ensured that no child's future is determined by their parents' immigration status. Dismantling it would create a permanent underclass of people born on American soil, deepening fear, division, and instability in communities across this country.

"For NALEO members, the millions they represent, and the broader Latino community, this is not an abstract legal debate. It is an immediate and deeply personal threat. Latino elected and appointed officials across the nation are hearing directly from parents who fear for their children's futures and their rightful place in this country. These same officials would also be on the frontlines of implementing any changes - forced to navigate and enforce a policy that creates two tiers of citizenship for children born in the same communities they serve. In a moment of already heightened uncertainty for immigrant families, the stakes could not be higher.

"The Supreme Court must reject this unconstitutional power grab and reaffirm the enduring promise of equal citizenship for all who are born in this country. The integrity of our democracy - and the futures of millions of American-born children - depend on it."

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About NALEO Educational Fund
NALEO Educational Fund is the nation's leading non-profit, non-partisan organization that facilitates the full participation of Latinos in the American political process, from citizenship to public service.