He told CNA the fight took a toll on his great-grandfather.
“Only a few were willing to stand up because, you know, you become a focal point,” he said.
“That, probably, was on him for the rest of his life. As long as he was in the United States, he had to watch his step.”
Advocates called Trump’s order unconstitutional, vowing to continue the fight to preserve American core values.
“Regardless of how we came (to the US), children born here are citizens. And that has transformed the way our cities and our states, our country looks,” said Annie Lee, managing director of civil rights organisation Chinese for Affirmative Action.
JUDGE BLOCKS ORDER
States and cities, including San Francisco, have sued the Trump administration over his order.
On Wednesday (Feb 5), a second federal judge issued a nationwide preliminary injunction that indefinitely blocked Trump’s bid.
District Judge Deborah Boardman of Maryland sided with those opposing the directive, joining another judge in Seattle who earlier paused the policy from taking effect for 14 days.
She called it “blatantly unconstitutional”, adding that no court in the country has endorsed Trump’s interpretation of the charter.
“The executive order conflicts with the plain language of the 14th Amendment, contradicts 125-year-old binding Supreme Court precedent and runs counter to our nation’s 250-year history of citizenship by birth,” Boardman ruled.
The ruling extends the pause on the order until a higher court overturns it, a successful appeal by Trump’s administration, or the legal process plays out, which could take months or even years.
The hearing is one of at least eight lawsuits filed by Democratic attorney generals and immigrant rights groups across the US.
If Trump’s order is allowed to stand, analysts estimate that more than 150,000 newborn children could be denied citizenship – a cornerstone for many other rights, including the ability to vote.
