News
Immigration groups sue Trump over order to end US birthright citizenship
By Francesca Hangeior
United States President Donald Trump has been sued by immigration advocates following his move to end automatic citizenship for children born in the United States to parents who are unlawfully or temporarily in the country.
On Monday, Trump signed an executive order at the White House aimed at ending the longstanding policy of birthright citizenship.
The order, which is set to take effect in 30 days, challenges more than a century of US policy and court interpretations of the Constitution.
According to a Bloomberg report, immigration advocates swiftly filed a lawsuit in New Hampshire on Monday evening, shortly after the order was signed.
During a briefing on Monday, Trump reiterated his commitment to the controversial policy change.
“The federal government will not recognize automatic birthright citizenship for children of illegal aliens born in the United States. We are also going to enhance vetting and screening of illegal aliens,” he said.
Ending birthright citizenship has been a cornerstone of Trump’s Agenda47 policy platform, with the campaign promising to clarify the Constitution’s 14th Amendment.
The campaign emphasised that citizenship should apply “only to those both born in AND ‘subject to the jurisdiction’ of the United States.”
To defend the policy, the Justice Department will need to convince courts to adopt a narrower interpretation of the Constitution, which some conservative legal scholars advocate.
The legal challenge could potentially reshape the understanding of the 14th Amendment, which was ratified in 1868 to grant citizenship to formerly enslaved people. Its Section 1 states: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”
While the clause “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” typically excludes children of foreign diplomats, the Supreme Court has consistently affirmed birthright citizenship for children born on US soil, despite numerous challenges over the years, according to the American Immigration Council.
Among the executive orders President Donald Trump signed just hours after taking office as the 47th President of the United States of America, USA, was the one directing government agencies to stop issuing citizenship documentation for babies born in the US to parents without legal status.
Immigration advocacy groups have already gone to court. It is expected that more lawsuits will follow, given the controversial nature of the orders.
Meanwhile, there is need to understand the workings of the American citizenship by birth, and then what Trump’s executive order means.
Passed by Congress June 13, 1866, and ratified July 9, 1868, the 14th Amendment extended liberties and rights granted by the Bill of Rights to formerly enslaved people.
A major provision of the 14th Amendment was to grant citizenship to “All persons born or naturalized in the United States,” thereby granting citizenship to formerly enslaved people.
Note that it was adopted in 1868 after the Civil War to clarify the status of formerly enslaved people.
However, it has long been read as giving citizenship to nearly all babies born on US soil.
This has seen many Nigerians, who have the means, preferring to give birth to babies in the US, as it makes them citizens with full rights as Americans.
With Trump’s executive order, titled “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship,” taking effect from February 20, there is need to understand it workings.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Enugu Governor Peter Mbah has expressed deep grief over the passing away of former Super Eagles skipper and coach, Christian Chukwu, describing him as a football icon, titan, and phenomenon.
Reacting to the development on Saturday Mbah said: “I received with a deep sense of loss the passing away of Chairman Christian Chukwu. It is a personal loss to us as Ndi Enugu, his home state, and indeed to Nigeria as a nation and Africa as a continent.
“Christian Chukwu was a national icon, a football titan, field marshal, and phenomenon. His exploits as a footballer united the country across ethnic divides and creed.
He was patriotism personified, serving the nation and Africa unreservedly both as a player and coach of the highly successful Rangers International Football Club of Enugu and Super Eagles of Nigeria, which he captained to victory as Green Eagles at the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON. He also coached the Harambee Stars, Kenya’s senior male national team, among others.
“Chairman, as he was fondly called, gave his all not only to the nation but to the rest of Africa. He wrote his name in gold in the annals of the history of Nigerian and African football.
Our dear legend has gone the way of all mortals, but the fond memories and the pride he gave Ndi Igbo and Nigeria as a whole will be cherished forever.
“My heart goes out to his family, Ndi Enugu, the Nigerian sports community and the entire nation over this irreplaceable loss. May the good Lord grant his soul eternal repose.”
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
No fewer than seven people lost their lives on Saturday following the detonation of an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by Boko Haram terrorists in Borno State.
The deadly incident occurred along the Maiduguri-Damboa Road, a notorious route that cuts through the Sambisa Forest—an area long plagued by insurgent activities.
The victims were part of a convoy of vehicles being escorted by the military from Damboa to Maiduguri.
According to eyewitness accounts and local sources, the explosion struck as the convoy—organized to provide safe passage through the volatile region—was underway. Several other passengers sustained varying degrees of injuries and were rushed to a hospital in Maiduguri for urgent treatment.
The Maiduguri-Damboa Road serves as a vital link between the state capital and several local government areas in southern Borno, including Chibok and Gwoza.
For years, the route remained closed to civilian traffic due to persistent terrorist threats. However, under the administration of Governor Babagana Zulum, the road was reopened, with military escorts deployed to accompany travelers twice weekly after clearing the area for explosives.
Saturday’s attack raises fresh concerns about the safety of the corridor, despite consistent military presence. The blast also comes just days after Governor Zulum publicly raised alarm over renewed Boko Haram activity in the state, highlighting the persistent threat the group poses to peace and development in the region.
Authorities are yet to release an official statement on the incident, while investigations and security operations in the area continue.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has initiated a search following the theft of a black Toyota Hilux vehicle belonging to the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Nuhu Ribadu, which was stolen during Friday’s Juma’at prayers in Abuja.
It was gathered that the vehicle was parked around 1:05pm opposite the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) complex in Area 10, while the official attended prayers at a nearby mosque.
Security source, Zagazola Makama, disclosed the incident via his X (formerly Twitter) handle, revealing that the ONSA official returned from the mosque only to find the vehicle missing.
According to him, a sources said the theft was immediately reported to the Garki Police Division at approximately 2:00 p.m., leading to a swift response by law enforcement.
Meanwhile, the FCT Police Command promptly activated a stop-and-search operation at various checkpoints and across all entry and exit points in the capital city.
Police authorities confirmed that investigations are ongoing and all efforts are being made to apprehend the culprits and recover the vehicle.
The Command said it had intensified efforts to track down the fleeing suspects and recover the stolen Hilux.
-
News4 hours agoInsecurity: Criminals Cart Away NSA Ribadu’s Office Hilux During Juma’at Prayer In Abuja
-
News13 hours agoWe only had lunch with Buhari not 2027 politics -El-Rufai
-
News13 hours agoSad! Explosion rocks Lagos
-
News12 hours agoIbas gives reasons why Sole Administrators were appointed for Rivers councils
-
News13 hours agoParts of Abuja, Niger in total darkness -AEDC confirms
-
News8 hours agoOERAF Rounds Up Late Chief Ekuogbe Rowland Akpodiete’s remembrance with Novelty Match
-
News11 hours agoUS embassy announces new requirements for visa interviews for Nigerian applicants
-
News11 hours agoFive countries with easy work visas in 2025