Chief Ben issues response to birthright citizenship
Choctaw Tribal Chief Cyrus Ben has issued a letter to MBCI Tribal Members regarding President Trump's Birthright Citizenship Executive Orders assuring them their status is safe.
Ben’s statement specifically references the order titled “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship,” signed on Jan. 20 and set to take effect on Feb. 19.
“I want to assure you that the executive order issued by the Trump administration regarding birthright citizenship does not impact our status as United States citizens,” Ben said.
More than 20 states have made legal challenges to the executive order. Some have interpreted the Department of Justice’s response citing language from Elk v. Wilkins, an 1884 United States Supreme Court case regarding Native Americans, as a challenge to the birthright citizenship of Native Americans.
The issue has been brought up “across the country” and “caused panic and concern across all Tribal Nations across the country,” Misty Brescia, director of the Office of Public Information for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, said.
“The DOJ's legal argument was not that Native Americans are not presently United States Citizens,” Ben’s statement said. “In fact, Congress enacted the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924, which declares that Native Americans born within the United States are citizens of the United States.”
Ben encouraged Tribal Members to carry their state-issued identification card, Tribal Identification card, or CDIB if they so choose as “a safe and proactive measure as it ensures your proof of identity.”
“Myself and my administration are actively communicating with our federal, state, and local representatives to stay informed about federal/state laws or decisions affecting our tribe,” Ben’s statement concludes.
“We will continue to engage with lawmakers to advocate for the best interests of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.
“I will continue to defend our rights as members of a sovereign nation and urge the United States Government to honor its trust and treaty responsibilities.”