An Incoherent USCCB Intervention on Birthright Citizenship, by Phil Lawler

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture, Feb 27, 2026

Phil Lawler has been a Catholic journalist for more than 30 years. He has edited several Catholic magazines and written eight books. Founder of Catholic World News, he is the news director and lead analyst at CatholicCulture.org . See full bio.

In the amicus brief urging the US Supreme Court to restore the “birthright citizenship” policy that was ended by a Trump executive order, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) argues that the key consideration is “whether the law will protect the human dignity of all God’s children.”

So is birthright citizenship—that is, the longstanding American policy offering citizenship to anyone born on US soil—an absolute requirement for human dignity? If birthright citizenship is a fundamental human right, why has it not been recognized by most other nations? Why is it not accepted in Vatican City?

True, Vatican City is an unusual nation-state, with special legal status. But if this is a fundamental human right, it should apply everywhere. And if it is not a fundamental human right, why are the US bishops presuming to speak on this highly charged political issue—going so far as to proclaim (as one section heading of the brief asserts) that Trump’s executive order is “immoral”? …

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