The American Promise, Upheld — Happy 250th, America

Arlington, Va. (July 1) – This July 4th, the United States turns 250 years old. And this week, on the eve of that milestone, the Supreme Court reaffirmed one of the most fundamental promises this country has ever made: that every child born on American soil is a citizen, regardless of where their parents came from.

  “We could not think of a more fitting birthday gift to the nation, said Tsehaye Tefera, PhD., President and CEO of ECDC.

  On June 30, 2026, the Court ruled 6-3 to uphold birthright citizenship, enshrined in the Fourteenth Amendment since 1868. It is a principle as old as the promise of America itself: that this country belongs not to those who arrived first, but to those born into its and their possibility.

  “For the families we serve every day, refugees and immigrants who have endured unimaginable hardship to reach this country, birthright citizenship is not a legal technicality. It is the guarantee that a child born on American soil enters this world not as a guest, not as a visitor, but as a citizen, with all the rights, dignity, and belonging that entails,” Dr. Tsehaye added.

  “Two hundred and fifty years ago, this country declared that certain truths are self-evident: that all people are created equal, endowed with the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Birthright citizenship is the living expression of that declaration. It says: if you are born here, you are one of us. Full stop.”

  “As we mark America’s 250th Anniversary we celebrate not just the age of this nation, but its capacity: tested generation after generation, to live up to its ideals. This week, it did.

Happy 250th, America. May the promise keep expanding,” he concluded.