The attorneys general released their statement on April 1, 2026, before the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on May 15 regarding Trump's executive order that would end birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to immigrant parents. The order, issued on Trump's first day in office in 2025, has been blocked by federal courts and never took effect.
The coalition declared that the executive order "violates our Constitution, federal statutes, and the rule that has governed our Nation for more than 150 years." They argued the order violates the Fourteenth Amendment and Section 1401 of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Groups of states, including Connecticut, filed successful lawsuits challenging the order in federal courts in Washington and Massachusetts, obtaining nationwide preliminary injunctions that prevented implementation.
The Supreme Court is reviewing the order's validity in Trump v. Barbara, a case brought by a class of children who would lose citizenship under the directive. Attorney General Tong joined the 24-state coalition in filing an amicus brief supporting the children.
The attorneys general stated: "We were proud to lead the fight against this unlawful order, and grateful for the injunctions we obtained that prevented this action from ever taking effect. We are optimistic the U.S. Supreme Court will agree with every judge to consider this executive order on the merits and hold that it violates this fundamental constitutional right."
For Tong, the case carries personal significance as he became the first U.S. citizen in his immediate family through birthright citizenship when he was born in Hartford in 1973. He later became the first Asian American elected to state office in Connecticut and the first Chinese American elected attorney general nationally.
The coalition includes attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.