The article discusses John Conness, a 19th-century U.S. Senator from California who played a crucial role in passing the 14th Amendment. It argues that his historical actions and intentions can counter modern attempts, specifically by President Trump, to redefine birthright citizenship. Conness rebuffed attempts to exclude certain groups from citizenship, asserting that all individuals born in the U.S. should be recognized as citizens. This perspective is particularly relevant today, emphasizing that U.S.-born children, regardless of their parents' legal status, are entitled to their rights as citizens.
Human beings born in the United States... shall be regarded as citizens of the United States, entitled to civil rights... to the right of equal defense.
Conness made plain that, while many Chinese people had been brought here illegally, the U.S.-born children were Americans.
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