BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The Supreme Court announced Friday it will hear a case challenging birthright citizenship, prompting worry among immigrant families and advocacy groups about the potential impact on their loved ones.
"To deny children the right to live a better life isn't just anti-American it's unnatural," said Libertad, who asked not to show her face on camera due to concerns about what might happen after the Supreme Court hears arguments early next year.
Earlier this year, President Trump issued an executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship, a constitutional right that has been in place for more than 150 years.
"We look for that legal safety, now we're suffering because it looks like the Constitution doesn't matter, now they want to take rights away that were given to us years ago," Libertad said.
Camila Chavez, executive director of the Dolores Huerta Foundation, expressed disappointment that the Supreme Court would consider the case at all.
"We are, of course, not excited, disappointed that the Supreme Court would even consider listening to you, taking this case up that is a part of the United States Constitution," Chavez said.
On June 27, 2025, President Trump defended his position on birthright citizenship.
"We can now promptly file to proceed with numerous policies that have been wrongly enjoined on a nationwide basis. And some of the cases we're talking about would be ending birthright citizenship, which now comes to the fore, that was meant for the babies of slaves. It wasn't meant for people trying to scam the system and come into the country on a vacation. This was in fact, it was the same date, the exact same date, the end of the Civil War. It was meant for the babies of slaves. And it's so clean and so obvious. But this lets us go there and finally win that case because hundreds of thousands of people are pouring into our country under birthright citizenship. And it wasn't meant for that reason," Trump said.
Despite the concerning developments, Chavez said her organization will continue advocating for immigrant rights.
"We will not live in fear. We will continue to educate you know, our communities, to educate ourselves, to make sure that we are armed with information of you know, our rights that we have, but this is very concerning news," Chavez said.
The case will be argued in the spring, with a ruling expected by early summer.
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