Indeed, the central reason Congress protected birthright citizenship in the 14th Amendment after the Civil War was to reject the shameful 1857 Dred Scott decision, in which the Supreme Court declared that enslaved people were not citizens of the U.S. and denied Black Americans the rights and protections of citizenship.

President Donald Trump's executive order to ban birthright citizenship is unconstitutional. Immigration must be handled through sensible legislation.

U.S. District Judge Joseph Laplante agreed to grant a preliminary injunction sought by immigrant-rights groups.