Legal Experts Debate Birthright Citizenship at Federalist Society Convention

Legal advocates and scholars debated U.S. immigration policy and the necessity of assimilation on Thursday at the Federalist Society’s National Lawyers Convention in Washington, D.C. The discussion centered on a June decision by the Supreme Court of the United States, in which Chief Justice John Roberts ruled that the 14th Amendment confers citizenship to children born in the U.S. to noncitizen parents.

Panelists offered conflicting interpretations of the ruling and its societal impact. Elle Bernstein argued the decision harms employment opportunities for U.S. citizens, while Gene Hamilton emphasized that immigrants must adopt American values and customs to maintain a common national identity. In contrast, Amanda Frost praised the American model of integration and urged the Trump administration to penalize businesses that employ undocumented workers.

John Yoo added a political dimension to the debate, asserting that recent midterm elections indicated a voter rejection of aggressive immigration enforcement. He specifically noted that previous policies had resulted in the deaths of two American citizens during ICE operations.