BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP
On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order entitled Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship. Citing to the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution, the “shameful decision” in Dred Scott v. Sandford, 60 U.S. 393 (1857) and 8 U.S.C. 1401, this order claims that the Fourteenth Amendment “has never been interpreted to extend citizenship universally to everyone born within the United States.” This order ends birthright citizenship to those born of undocumented migrants.
Several states have sued the federal government over this executive order and the issue is making its way to the US Supreme Court.
Question: Should birthright citizenship extend to all persons born in the United States or only to those whose parents are legally in the United States?
Choose your position on Birthright Citizenship – prove your reasons and arguments supported by facts, law and specific data.
The speech should be approximately five to seven minutes long. There will be a preliminary round on April 23, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. that will take place at Thurston County Superior Court (courtroom 102) on the main Thurston County Courthouse Campus (2000 Lakeridge Drive SW, Olympia). Please arrive by 4:45 p.m. as the doors will lock promptly at 5:00 p.m. The top three speeches will advance to a final round on April 29, 2025, at a West Olympia Rotary lunch from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Viewpoint Room below Tugboat Annie’s Restaurant (2100 West Bay Drive NW, Olympia). The total prize money is $1,800.00 and will be awarded by the TCBA to the top three speeches ($800 for 1st place, $600 for 2nd place, and $400 for 3rd place) and each of the three winners will receive a plaque from the West Olympia Rotary Club. This speech contest is open to all high school students in Thurston County.
Deadline: You must notify Thurston County Bar Association (TCBA) of your intent to participate in the speech contest no later than April 21, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. Please email your intent to participate with your name, grade, school, and contact information to tcba.info@nullgmail.com. If you have any questions, please contact Heather at the Thurston County Bar Association at tcba.info@nullgmail.com.