Mejia to Lead Task Force To Defend The 14th Amendment As Trump Administration Continues Its Assault On Civil Rights

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, on the 158th anniversary of the 14th Amendment’s ratification on July 9th, 1868, House Democratic Caucus announced Representative Analilia Mejia (NJ-11) as co-chair of the Defend the 14th Amendment Task Force. The task force will engage experts and convene Members to defend the Constitution, coordinate oversight, legislation, and public education campaigns, and respond to actions by the Trump Administration that undermine the rights and protections guaranteed by the 14th Amendment. Congresswoman Mejia will be co-chairing alongside Representatives Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Emily Randall (WA-06), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), and Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10).

“We are witnessing a coordinated campaign by the Trump administration and a radicalized Supreme Court to dismantle the fundamental freedoms forged in the aftermath of slavery and protected by the 14th Amendment, including the right to vote, equal protection and due process under the law, and the citizenship of every child born on this soil. This is a deliberate strategy to silence the communities who fought hardest to build this democracy and to strip them of the rights they bled for,” said Representative Analilia Mejia (NJ-11). “I formed the Defend the 14th Amendment Task Force with my colleagues because these rights have never been self-executing — they have been won through struggle, defended through sacrifice, and they will be defended again. Democracy is only possible with equality, and equality is only made possible by the 14th Amendment.”

“The 14th Amendment reminds us that the promise of the Constitution belongs to all of us. It serves as the basis for the civil rights movement and ensures that every American has equal rights in this country, no matter who they are or where they come from. As Trump and Republicans attempt to undermine these liberties, House Democrats stand united in fighting for equal opportunity and equal protection under the law, and I’m grateful to Reps. Mejia, Cleaver,  Randall, Simon and Subramanyam for their leadership in this fight,” said House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar. 

“Throughout my ministry, my public service, and my work in Congress, I have believed that our nation is strongest when we expand the promise of freedom, not when we narrow it,” said Congressman Emanuel Cleaver. “The 14th Amendment embodies that promise. It has served as the constitutional bedrock for equal protection, civil rights, and the belief that every person deserves equal dignity under the law. As new efforts emerge to undermine these protections, we cannot afford to be silent. I am proud to co-chair this task force and join my colleagues in defending one of the Constitution’s most enduring guarantees so that future generations inherit a nation that is more just, more equal, and more faithful to its founding ideals.”

“Last week's decision affirmed the actual words in the constitution — that if you are born in this country, you are a citizen of this country — but the fact the 4 justices dissented shows that we’re not safe from these continuous attacks from Donald Trump, his administration, and what is an activist and extremist conservative Supreme Court. We have to continue fighting to ensure that the citizens of the United States are protected and that nothing erodes that constitutional protection,” said Representative Emily Randall (WA-06) 

"The 14th Amendment granted citizenship BOTH to formerly enslaved people and all persons born in this nation. While the Supreme Court did their basic job in affirming the Constitution, threats to our constitutional and civil rights remain," said Representative Lateefah Simon (CA-12). “Republicans are hell bent on redrawing this nation in their image.  The 14th Amendment was fought for - not given, and I join my colleagues as leaders of this Task Force and the continued effort to fight for and defend the 14th Amendment.”

“Birthright citizenship continues to be under attack by the President Trump and his administration. I am excited to join my colleagues as we push to protect the 14th Amendment and make sure we uphold it for generations to come. It is a core principle that belonging in this country is a right you are born with, not a gift that can be taken away,” said Representative Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10).