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San Francisco committee affirms birthright citizenship, forwards resolution to full board
Summary
The Government Audit and Oversight Committee voted to amend and forward a resolution affirming birthright citizenship and opposing a presidential executive order to the Board of Supervisors with a positive recommendation after extensive public comment from immigrant advocates.
The Government Audit and Oversight Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Feb. 20 amended and forwarded a resolution affirming San Francisco’s support for birthright citizenship to the full Board of Supervisors with a positive recommendation.
Supervisor Connie Chan, sponsor of the item, described the resolution as a statement opposing what she called the current administration’s attempts to “unconstitutionally limit birthright citizenship,” and asked the committee to affirm the city’s commitment to the constitutional guarantee established under the Fourteenth Amendment and by the U.S. Supreme Court in the Wong Kim Ark case.
The resolution drew more than a dozen public speakers, including legal and immigrant-rights organizations, who urged the committee to adopt the measure. Judge Lillian Singh, retired, told the committee, “This resolution is not only correct, it is the law of our country.” Nick Gee of Chinese for Affirmative Action said the city should “push back against Trump’s draconian attempts to scapegoat immigrants.” Others, including representatives from Coleman Advocates, the Asian Law Caucus, Chinatown Community Development Center and API Legal Outreach, also spoke in support.
The committee adopted a technical amendment to correct the date in the resolution, changing a reference from 1894 to 1895 for the return of Wong Kim Ark, and unanimously approved a motion to send the item to the full Board of Supervisors with a positive recommendation. Vice Chair Sauter, Member Sheryl, and Chair Fielder each recorded “aye” on both the amendment and the forwarding motion.
The resolution cites the Fourteenth Amendment and the Supreme Court precedent in Wong Kim Ark v. United States, and draws on statements from advocacy groups and academic policy briefs referenced during public comment. The clerk noted items acted on by the committee are expected to appear on the Board of Supervisors agenda on March 4 unless otherwise stated.
The committee record shows broad public and organizational support during the public-comment period but includes no formal legal action beyond the committee amendment and forwarding recommendation. The full Board of Supervisors will consider the resolution at a later meeting.
