Minnesota’s African immigrant leaders are stepping up efforts to inform and empower their communities in response to former President Donald Trump’s controversial immigration policies, particularly regarding deportation and birthright citizenship.
In a forum held Saturday at the Brooklyn Park Small Business Center, members of the Council of Minnesotans of African Heritage gathered to discuss the implications of Trump’s immigration stance and provide resources for navigating these challenges. The discussions included educating African immigrants about their rights and addressing perceived differences between African immigrants and African Americans.
Participants explored historical contexts such as slavery, African migration to Minnesota, and the need for unity between these communities, with proposed solutions to bridge these gaps.
Trump’s attempt to limit automatic birthright citizenship has faced strong legal opposition. A fourth federal judge recently ruled against his executive order seeking to end the practice. U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin of Boston issued a nationwide injunction blocking its implementation following lawsuits from immigrant rights groups and Democratic attorneys general from 18 states and the District of Columbia.
During a recent court hearing, Justice Department attorney Eric Hamilton argued that past administrations and Supreme Court justices had misinterpreted the 14th Amendment by extending citizenship to children born to non-permanent residents. However, Judge Sorokin rejected this claim, emphasizing that the amendment was originally intended to grant birthright citizenship to the children of enslaved individuals brought to the U.S. involuntarily.
