Birthright Citizenship in the U.S.

What’s going on with birthright citizenship in the U.S.? In May 2025, there was oral argument at the Supreme Court on this topic. What was it really about? This explainer comic illustrates this specific point in the litigation.

Text says, "What's happening with birthright citizenship?" Illustration shows a baby holding a U.S. flag, in a bassinet. Sign on bassinet says "Welcome baby!"

Text says, "birthright citizenship has long been a no-brainer aside from some fringe theories. Just read the start of the Fourteenth Amendment." Illustration shows a drawing of a yellow scroll with text of 14th amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Text says, "The fringe theories made it to the White House this year, and turned into an Executive Order." Illustration shows a White House with arms and legs holding the birthright citizenship executive order from January 2025.

Text says, "This was quickly put on hold (aka 'nationwide preliminary injunctions') by federal district courts in Seattle, Maryland, and Massachusetts. Illustration shows stick figure judges holding up papers that say "Not ok. Pause!"

Text says, "But the Government didn't stop there, asking the Supreme Court to decide that nationwide injunctions (holds) are wrong and should not apply to anyone other than the plaintiffs in the cases put on hold."

Illustrations how's White House holding a sign saying "We're not asking about the Constitution itself.." and text explains it's a procedural appeal.

Text explains that the case has yet to be decided, but unclear how Court will rule.

The day they took away a fundamental right

On Friday, June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court took away a fundamental right from Americans when it overruled Roe v. Wade. Those who were watching closely had seen it coming for years, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a complete blow, to our senses of dignity and the legitimacy of the court, when it did finally happen.

The text in the middle of the page says, “this morning, I woke up with a FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT under my nation’s Constitution. Tonight, I go to sleep without it.” Illustration shows a woman waking up in the morning and then laying in bed, sad.

Text says, “What does it feel like to have had more rights than your daughter, fewer rights than your mother,”

Illustration shows a woman with a bob holding a blue blob, a collaged piece of paper. Next to her is a younger woman reaching for the blue blob, with torn up blue bits next to her.

Text says, “fewer rights than YOURSELF,”

Illustration shows a woman with tears coming down her face, tears created with collaged blue paper. She has her legs and arms crossed. Next to her are younger versions of herself, holding intact blue blobs (collaged paper). Text above each of them says, “a day ago, 6 months ago, 15 years ago,”

Text at the top says, “and a legal system that smashes a half century of legal precedent.” Illustration shows collaged bits of paper, mostly blue, some orange. They are pointy and all over the page, like an explosion. Under them is a Supreme Court bench, with 6 justices behind it, saying in a single voice, “Look what we can do!”

This page simply says, “This.” There are no illustrations.

In the middle of the page, it says “This is what it feels like.”

Below, towards the bottom, are a few of the collaged bits of paper from the prior drawing, in a tiny pile on the ground.

When we think of law as science

A comic. I don’t like philosophy but I may have waded into the territory of legal philosophy here…

Text says, “Growing up in an age of science and math, we get accustomed to, and rely upon RULES and LOGIC!” Illustration shows a woman with blonde hair, next to a dog. Above the dog is an apple, with dotted lines going down to the dog’s heat. The woman is pointing to the apple, saying “That’s going -9.8 m/s squared, even if I don’t believe in gravity.”

The illustration shows a blonde woman pointing at a circle that has a face, and is sitting on the grown. She is thinking, “The circumference of this emoji is 2 times pi times r. Always.”

The text says, “It’s natural, then, to think that laws are always rules of logic of the same kind as science and math.” The girl is sitting, reading from a propped up book. She is thinking, “So if the Supreme Court concluded this here, in this analogous situation, they have to come to the same conclusion!”

The text says, “Of course, laws do have some logic and the rule of law can work.” Below is an illustration of a no speeding sign, then a car that is caught speeding, then a ticket that is issued.

Text at the top says, “But there are always humans involved in this set of rules, how they are used and understood. Illustration shows a man saying, “Well from my perspective, you violated that law.” The woman is saying, “That view is incorrect because…”

The text at the top says, “And that means the meaning of the law is left to whoever doesn’t have their decisions reviewed, instead of whatever is the most inherently logical.” The illustration below shows the Supreme Court, with three members as ghosts. The text bubbles from the Court are saying, “We no longer need that part of the Voting Rights Act!” And “Abortion is no longer a right!”