June 30, 2026

Today’s U.S. Supreme Court decision is a victory for all Americans and a powerful reaffirmation of the promise enshrined in the Constitution that every child born in the United States is a citizen.

For more than 150 years, birthright citizenship has been a cornerstone of our democracy. It was established through the 14th Amendment after the Civil War, as the nation attempted to reckon with the enslavement of Black people. Birthright citizenship is a rejection of the old-world notion that status should be determined by race, ancestry, or bloodline – and it reflects one of America’s most democratic values: that people should not be judged by who their parents are, but instead recognized as equal members of the nation under the law.

This ruling also carries special significance for Asian American communities. The constitutional foundation for birthright citizenship was secured in 1898 when Wong Kim Ark, a Chinese American born in San Francisco, successfully challenged the government’s attempt to deny his citizenship during an era of systematic anti-Asian exclusion. His victory at the Supreme Court affirmed that the 14th Amendment protects people born in the U.S., regardless of their parents’ immigration status or national origin.

Birthright citizenship has shaped America into the uniquely diverse and democratic nation it is today. Because of this right, the Asian American community and other communities of color have been able to grow in size and political power – and that is precisely why the Trump administration attempted to end it. 

Trump and his loyalists know that without birthright citizenship, Asian people would experience the greatest disproportionate impact of any racial group in the U.S. Hundreds of thousands of Asian people would be born without citizenship by 2050 – unable to vote; access critical public benefits; or receive the full legal protections citizens are entitled to.

So while we celebrate today’s ruling, we must also recognize that the Trump regime’s attack on birthright citizenship is just one part of their broader plan to make America permanently hostile to people of color. That’s why we must continue to confront the racist, anti-immigrant political rhetoric and policies that fueled the challenge to birthright citizenship in the first place. 

Stop AAPI Hate and our supporters will continue to strive for an America where every child born is afforded full rights, protections, and opportunities – and where every person is treated with equality and humanity.