Washington | Indian-American advocacy groups and lawmakers have welcomed the US Supreme Court ruling that struck down President Donald Trump's executive order restricting birthright citizenship, upholding that nearly all children born on American soil are citizens.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected Trump's bid to end the 150-year-old policy. His executive order aimed to prevent babies born to undocumented immigrants and temporary foreign residents from automatically becoming Americans.
The Supreme Court ruling is a "profound affirmation of who belongs in America," said Chintan Patel, Executive Director of civic organisation Indian American Impact.
"Indian and South Asian immigrant families are among those most directly threatened by Trump's executive order – communities navigating long visa backlogs and uncertain immigration timelines, where children are often born here long before their parents have a clear path to permanence," Patel said.
He said the Supreme Court looked at those families and said, "Your children are American. They belong here," he said.
Ajay Jain Bhutoria, a prominent Indian-American community leader, described the judgment as a "monumental victory".
"The Supreme Court's 5-4 ruling protects birthright citizenship for immigrant families who built their lives here. As America prepares for its 250th anniversary, this decision honours our history as a nation strengthened by immigrants," he said.
According to Khanderao Kand, President and Chief of Policy and Strategy of Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS), the apex court's decision provided much-needed certainty for millions of families who have built their lives in America.
"The Indian-American community, now nearly 5.2 million strong, includes more than 1.2 million highly skilled professionals and family members waiting in the employment-based green card backlog for years," he noted.
"We hope this moment also renews the focus on modernising our legal immigration system so that those who play by the rules are treated with fairness, certainty, and dignity," Kand said.
Indian-American lawmakers Raja Krishnamoorthi, Pramila Jayapal and Suhas Subramanyam welcomed the Supreme Court ruling, terming Trump's executive order as a "blatant and unconstitutional attempt to strip citizenship from children of immigrants all across the country".
The Supreme Court decision reaffirms a fundamental constitutional principle: every child born in the United States is an American citizen, Krishnamoorthi said.
"Since its ratification in the wake of the Civil War, the Fourteenth Amendment has enshrined the principles of equal citizenship and equal protection under the law, including its guarantee of birthright citizenship," he said.
The Congressional Tri-Caucus – representing groups of Asian Pacific Americans, Hispanic and Black ethnicities – said the apex Court decision affirms a fundamental constitutional principle that has defined the nation for generations – every child born in the United States is a citizen of the United States.
"This promise was established by the Fourteenth Amendment, affirmed by the Supreme Court in the 1898 case United States vs Wong Kim Ark, and codified into federal law," the Tri-Caucus said in a statement.
It said that while President Trump believes he is above the law, the court ruling serves as a reminder that he cannot override the Constitution or deny people the rights it guarantees with a stroke of a pen.
"His effort to end birthright citizenship and redefine who gets to be an American has failed," the Tri-Caucus statement said.
"As we approach the 250th anniversary of our nation's founding, we stand united in rejecting Trump's dangerous and exclusionary vision of America. We are American, we belong here, and we will continue to defend birthright citizenship for generations to come," the statement said.
