Since the ratification of the 14th Amendment in 1868, the United States Constitution has guaranteed all persons born on U.S. soil the right to citizenship, granting American children access to critical supports and protections from birth. We are appreciative that yesterday, the Supreme Court reaffirmed more than 150 years of established legal precedent. 

Birthright citizenship protects all children — including the children of undocumented or other noncitizen families — from the significant barriers, delays, and confusion that proving citizenship status would otherwise create in accessing basic needs and education during the most critical time in their lives. It ensures the 3.6 million families giving birth in the U.S. each year do not face new bureaucratic hurdles standing between their newborns and a strong start. But a favorable ruling also does not negate the continued ways that immigration enforcement tactics are harming communities, families, early educators, and young children, including citizen children in mixed-status families.

NAEYC welcomes the Court’s decision today and will continue to stand with immigrant children, families, and educators, grounded in our core belief that every child deserves safety and the opportunity to thrive in environments that support their learning and development.