Democratic-led states and civil rights groups have filed the first lawsuits challenging
executive orders U.S. President Donald Trump signed after taking office, including one that seeks to roll back birthright citizenship in the United States.
A coalition of 18 Democratic-led states along with the District of Columbia and the city of San Francisco filed a lawsuit in a federal court in Boston on Tuesday arguing the Republican president’s effort to end birthright citizenship is a flagrant violation of the Constitution of the United States.
That lawsuit followed a pair of similar cases filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, immigrant organizations and an expectant mother in the hours after Trump signed the executive order, marking the first major litigation challenging parts of his agenda since he took office on Monday.
“State attorneys general have been preparing for illegal actions like this one, and today’s immediate lawsuit sends a clear message to the Trump administration that we will stand up for our residents and their basic constitutional rights,” New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said in a statement.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The lawsuits, which were all filed in federal courts in Boston or Concord, New Hampshire, take aim at a central piece of Trump’s sweeping immigration crackdown, an order directing federal agencies not to recognize U.S. citizenship for children born in the United States to mothers who are in the country illegally or are present temporarily, such as visa holders, and whose fathers are not citizens or lawful permanent residents.
More lawsuits by Democratic-led states and advocacy groups challenging other aspects of Trump’s agenda are expected, with cases already on file challenging the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency and an order the Republican signed weakening job protections for civil servants.
With Reuters inputs
