LAS VEGAS, NV – Following a rally in Reno, Nevada, on Tuesday, Ohio Senator and GOP Vice Presidential nominee J.D. Vance reiterated a call to curtail birthright citizenship during an interview with a Reno reporter. In that interview, Vance said in part, “You can’t have someone who breaks the law to come into the country, and then they give birth and now their child has permanent rights to American citizenship.”
Those remarks echo a bill, co-sponsored by Vance and three other Senate Republicans, that also seeks to limit birthright citizenship. Today, a coalition of progressive groups joined to denounce those remarks.
“Make no mistake, what J.D. Vance is proposing is to end birthright citizenship as we know it,” said Paula Luna, Deputy Director of Battle Born Progress. “These remarks fly in the face of the 14th Amendment. They are a call to shred the freedoms guaranteed by our Constitution at the behest of this country’s most radical nativist fringe. Both my parents were born in Mexico – and I’m a citizen through birthright citizenship. I am not unique. I think most of us know someone who is just like me. But this is par for the course for Vance, Trump and the MAGA right, and just another example of the needlessly cruel policies adopted under the Trump Administration. Remarks like these seek only to divide us, and crystallize the disconnect between the American people and the extremist leaders of the GOP.”
“During Reconstruction, Congress added birthright citizenship to the constitution, and it gave formerly enslaved people citizenship in the United States”, said Laura Martin, Executive Director of PLAN Action. “After Donald Trump’s most recent racist outburst, it’s not shocking to hear his MAGA VP pick supports the end of birthright citizenship, despite both the Trump and Vance families having benefited from it. Immigrants are our neighbors, co-workers, classmates, and friends. We are working hard to ensure every Nevada voters knows Trump wants to radically redefine what it means to be an American.”
“As a first-generation US citizen born to immigrant parents, I am deeply appalled by JD Vance’s proposal to strip away birthright citizenship,” said Manuel Santamaria, State Director of Mi Familia Vota. “I am a proud American who served eight years in the US Army as a combat medic and paratrooper, defending the rights of all Americans. These MAGA extremists are undermining the sacrifices of all veterans who fought to uphold the freedoms enshrined in the Constitution and the 14th Amendment. JD Vance’s stance panders to the xenophobic far right in a desperate attempt to revive his failing campaign.”
“J.D. Vance’s proposal to end birthright citizenship is an outrageous assault on the very essence of American values,” said Leo Murrieta, Executive Director of Make the Road Action Nevada. “This radical and unconstitutional call is designed to disenfranchise the undocumented community and countless other families who have built their lives here. Immigrants make our nation a better place for everyone, enriching our nation and economy. We will not stand idly by while extremist agendas threaten our fundamental rights and freedoms. Make the Road Action Nevada is committed to fighting these unjust policies and protecting the rights of all immigrant families.”
“America was built on the backs of immigrants. At some point in every American’s family tree, they have directly benefited from birthright citizenship, regardless of their origin, heritage, or race,” said Eric Jeng, Executive Director of One APIA Nevada. “JD Vance’s comment on restricting birthright citizenship is a racist dog whistle that is a direct betrayal of the Constitution and violation of the 14th amendment. It’s shocking, not surprising, for the GOP VP nominee from the party of insurrectionists to propose a bill that strips a fundamental right and undermines the cornerstone of American democracy. It is an affront to the values that bind our communities together.”
“JD Vance’s vile proposal to end birthright citizenship is an all-out assault on our nation’s immigrant heritage,” said Taylor Patterson, Executive Director of Native Voters Alliance Nevada. “Other than Indigenous communities, every family in this country traces its roots back to immigrants who have built this country with their blood, sweat, and tears. The hypocrisy is glaring; even staunch MAGA Republicans like Ted Cruz, who reaped the benefits of birthright citizenship despite being born in Canada, reveal the deceit in this extremist agenda. Vance’s divisive rhetoric is nothing more than a calculated move to marginalize and disenfranchise. We will not be silenced by such xenophobic fear-mongering. We will stand resilient and united, defending the inalienable rights of every person who calls this land home against these extremist threats.”
###
