Eighteen Republican attorneys general are supporting President Trump's executive order on birthright citizenship, filing an amicus brief to counter lawsuits from Democratic AGs and advocacy groups. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, leading the effort, argues the order aligns with the Constitution's original intent and protects taxpayers from bearing the costs associated with “anchor babies”, children born to foreign nationals visiting the U.S. specifically to gain citizenship for their offspring. She emphasized that taxpayers often shoulder the financial burden of healthcare and other expenses for these births.

The Republican AGs' brief challenges a lawsuit from 18 Democrat-led states and legal groups like the ACLU, which argue the order is unconstitutional and contradicts established legal precedents. They contend the president lacks the authority to alter or negate a constitutional amendment or existing law regarding birthright citizenship.

The Republican brief asserts that the executive order upholds the Fourteenth Amendment's original meaning and mitigates harm to states by discouraging individuals from entering the country illegally to give birth and obtain citizenship for their children. The brief cites instances of pregnant women crossing the border in labor, highlighting the lengths some go to for U.S. citizenship for their newborns.

Issued shortly after Trump's return to office, the "Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship" order specifies that birthright citizenship doesn't automatically apply to children born in the U.S. to parents who are undocumented immigrants or those legally present but on a temporary basis. Bird stated that the order aims to restore the significance of American citizenship and prevent individuals from being rewarded for unlawful actions.