President Donald Trump’s executive orders, signed on his first day in office, have sparked significant opposition, particularly regarding his move to end birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to non-citizen or non-permanent resident parents.
On January 21, 22 state governments, including California, filed lawsuits against the administration, arguing that restricting birthright citizenship is unconstitutional and will ultimately be overturned.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta criticized the move, saying, “I have one message for President Trump: I’ll see you in court. The President’s executive order attempting to rescind birthright citizenship is blatantly unconstitutional and quite frankly, un-American.”
The coalition of states—including Massachusetts, New Jersey, Colorado, Connecticut, and Hawaii—demanded an immediate suspension of the executive order within 30 days and requested that children born under the affected conditions during the litigation be exempt from enforcement.
According to California officials, the order could deny citizenship to approximately 20,000 children born annually in the state and impact over 11 million immigrants, comprising 30% of California’s population.
Major media outlets, including the Los Angeles Times, predict that this lawsuit will mark the beginning of broader state-level challenges to Trump’s executive orders.
The Korean-American community has also expressed concern over the order. While some midwives and hospitals have not yet experienced direct impacts, inquiries about the implications of the new policy are reportedly increasing.
A Los Angeles midwife noted, “We received a few inquiries during the last election about birthright citizenship, but calls have surged this week after the order was enacted. If enforcement begins, the number of mothers coming to the U.S. for childbirth will significantly decline. We are closely monitoring the news.”
A representative from a Korean-American hospital in LA’s Koreatown added, “This policy could affect not only birth tourism but also Korean families on student visas or short-term stay permits.”
Trump has also drawn attention for other high-profile orders, including declaring a national emergency at the southern border and deploying large-scale military forces to bolster border security.
In addition, he reinstated the federal death penalty, mandating its application in cases involving law enforcement killings and major crimes committed by undocumented immigrants.
In a controversial move, Trump pardoned over 1,500 individuals involved in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots. His orders also halted hiring across all federal agencies except the military and mandated an end to remote work, requiring federal employees to return to in-person offices.
As Trump intensifies his immigration policies, his administration’s actions have sparked legal and public challenges, setting the stage for contentious battles in the months ahead.
BY BRIAN CHOI, YOUNGNAM KIM [kim.youngnam@koreadaily.com]
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