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Good evening, and welcome to the first edition of The Logoff — the newsletter that gives you the Trump news you need so you can log off and get back to the rest of your life.
There’s a lot going on today, but I want to focusLegal battle over birthright citizenship,Because its consequences will affect millions of people.
What did the law say before Trump?Under the Constitution (the 14th Amendment, to be precise), almost everyone born on US soil automatically becomes a US citizen, regardless of their parents’ immigration status. Donald Trump signed an executive order yesterday that would change that: It would deny automatic citizenship to children born to parents who are both immigrants in cases where neither parent is a naturalized citizen or legal permanent resident. (My colleague Ian MilheiserHere are more details.)
So what happened today?Eighteen states have filed a federal lawsuit to block the order from taking effect, and the case appears set to go to the Supreme Court. There, most legal observers expect the justices to side with states (and with 125 years of legal precedent) that birthright citizenship is constitutional. There are no guarantees (especially not with this court) but perhaps this executive order is destined to fail.
So where does this leave us?Barring something unexpected, birthright citizenship will survive. You should pay attention for two reasons: First, there is always the possibility of a shock result in court. And second, the mandate itself is an indication of how thoroughly Trump has dragged once-foreign ideas into the GOP mainstream.
What is the big lesson here?Trump opened his presidency with a barrage of policy changes, and nowhere was the change bigger than on immigration. It will challenge almost all. Some orders will survive; Others will be the subject of lengthy legal battles. Where those fights end up will determine whether Trump succeeds in a radical overhaul of the immigration system — or a series of changes to it. And it will take a long time before we get the final answer.
And with that, it’s time to log off…
It is a crimson-rumped tocanet. And birds like this are a big reason for Colombia’s thriving ecotourism industry. My colleague Benji Jones Wrote all about it here.
