Local immigrant advocates greeted the news from Tuesday’s U.S. Supreme Court decision with mixed feelings of relief and ongoing concern.
The majority of the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the right of children born in the US to get automatic citizenship. The ruling stopped President Trump from implementing his executive order barring the children of parents without legal status or with temporary status from citizenship.
“You would essentially have people that are stateless, that don’t belong to any state,” said Refugee Center Executive Director Lisa Wilson.
Wilson said she was particularly concerned for the Afghan families she works with. Many fled to the U-S following the military withdrawal from Afghanistan.
She says if they had children before receiving permanent legal status, they would have new hurdles to proving their children’s citizenship.
Wilson said she is concerned that birthright citizenship could still be challenged because of a separate opinion written by Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
The majority of the court ruled in favor of birthright citizenship based on over a century of laws and interpretations of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Kavanaugh said his decision was based on U.S. code instead — which could be much more easily overturned by Congress.
In a post on Truth Social, President Trump criticized the ruling and urged Congress to pass legislation to end birthright citizenship.
Even if Congress does not pass that law, Wilson said she worries about many other policies, like whether the administration will succeed in revoking the temporary protected status of local Venezuelans after a recent court case.
Francisco Baires directs the New American Welcome Center at the University YMCA in Urbana. He said the immigrant community is relieved but still on guard, as the Trump administration’s deportation campaign and immigration policies have caused them fear.
“We still have people in this local community who are leery of taking their children to school, going to doctors appointments, or going to court, even though they have court cases,” Baires said.
He said other immigrants have gone back to their daily lives.
While the local immigrant advocacy organizations tackle the shifting federal landscape, they are also planning a September celebration.
The New American Welcome Center leads an annual “Welcoming Week” celebrating the contributions of immigrants to the Champaign-Urbana area. This year’s week will start on Sept. 10.
Baires said the Refugee Center and Immigrant Services of Champaign-Urbana are also planning the celebration and that the three groups are accepting volunteers, donations and partnerships.