Trump thwarted, birthright citizenship upheld by Supreme Court

CHINATOWN / FACEBOOK

San Francisco's Chinatown unveiled its newest mural hooring Wong Kim Ark.

The historic 128-year-old legacy of a San Francisco Chinatown cook has been vindicated, as the US Supreme Court ruled 6–3 to reject a white nationalist-fueled executive order, firmly upholding constitutional birthright citizenship for all children born on American soil.

For Norman Wong and Sandra Wong, the great-grandchildren of civil rights icon Wong Kim Ark, the high court's decision was a moment of profound relief—and a stark reminder of the perpetual fight against the "forever foreigner" stereotype that still haunts Asian Americans.

The high-stakes legal battle erupted after Donald Trump tried to unilaterally dismantle the 14th Amendment. His executive order sought to strip automatic citizenship from children born in the US to temporary visitors and undocumented immigrants—a move that would have upended the lives of over 250,000 babies born each year.

Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts made it clear that a president cannot rewrite the Constitution by executive decree. The court squarely reaffirmed the very precedent established by the Wongs' ancestor in the landmark 1898 case, United States v. Wong Kim Ark.

Trump vows to continue fight to restrict immigration

Celebrate while you can. Although the Supreme Court struck down Trump’s executive order restricting birthright citizenship, other crucial Supreme Court victories for the administration are adversely affecting millions of legal visa-holders from Asia, the country's fastest-growing immigrant group.

The fact that the SCOTUS ruling wasn't unanimous in what legal experts thought would be a slam-dunk gives the Trump regime an open door to achieve what his weaponized DOJ sought to do.

Trump criticized the Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling striking down his executive order on birthright citizenship, calling the decision "too bad for our Country" but pivoting immediately to demand a legislative workaround through Congress.

In a series of posts on Truth Social, Trump expressed deep disappointment, stating that while the court upheld the policy, "we can easily make it up in Congress through Legislation."

He urged Congress to begin drafting legislation "today" to dismantle birthright citizenship, labeling the practice "expensive and unfair to our country" and promising lawmakers his "Complete and Total Support!."

Though Trump lost his fight against the 14th Amendment's birthright protections, immigration experts warn that the cumulative effect of the other Supreme Court decisions will heavily disrupt the lives of millions of lawful visa holders and employment-based immigrants.

Trump achieved his broader agenda against immigrants of color through the following wins at the Supreme Court: 

• TPS Terminations: In Mullin v. Doe, the Court ruled 6-3 to bar judicial review of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) determinations. This greenlit the termination of TPS for Haiti and Syria, immediately placing roughly 350,000 work-authorized individuals at risk of deportation and the loss of their legal status. While the case specifically involved Haitian and Syrian immigrants, the ruling has broad implications for all immigrants, including those from Asia, such as Nepal, Burma (Myanmar) and Afghanistan.

• Asylum Restrictions: In Mullin v. Al Otro Lado, the Court determined that migrants attempting to seek asylum while standing outside the US border are not considered to have legally "arrived" in the country.

• Lawful Permanent Resident Admissibility: In Blanche v. Muk Choi Lau, the Court ruled 6-3 that US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) can defer the inspection of Lawful Permanent Residents who committed crimes until after their conviction, making it significantly easier to deport green card holders.

View from the edge

Immigrants from Asia make up the fastest-growing minority and racial demographic in the US, and they are disproportionately affected by the broader shifting legal landscape. While ending birthright citizenship would have primarily affected the US-born children of undocumented Latinos, studies have shown that the fastest relative growth of "unauthorized" births would have occurred among Asian families who are lawfully in the US on student and work visas. Many Asian immigrants face massive green card backlogs — often stretching over a decade — and thus rely on these temporary, nonimmigrant statuses for long periods.

The original battle began when Wong Kim Ark, a cook born in San Francisco, traveled to China and was blocked from re-entering his own country by racist immigration officials wielding the Chinese Exclusion Act. He refused to back down, forcing the Supreme Court to declare in 1898 that birth on U.S. soil equals citizenship, period.

In a poetic twist of continuity, the case defending our foundational rights was argued before the high court by ACLU national director Cecillia Wang — an American-born daughter of Taiwanese immigrants. Norman Wong, a 76-year-old Bay Area resident and veteran activist of the 1970s Third World Liberation Front at UC Berkeley, noted how "sweet" it was to see a Chinese American woman who herself is a US citizen by virtue of birthright citizenship, leading the defense at the frontlines of anti-Asian discrimination.

Norman Wong spent the morning of the decision at his Bay Area home, eating a bowl of oatmeal and anxiously tracking the news. Speaking with AsAmNews, he emphasized that this wasn't just a win for one community.

“Today's ruling shows that his victory remains as important now as it was in 1898... We’re fighting for rights for all Americans because these are fundamental rights.”

His sister, Sandra Wong, expressed disbelief that they even had to fight this battle in 2026. "This is Wong Kim Ark's legacy," she stated. "It is our legacy."

Just weeks before this modern victory, a vibrant new mural honoring Wong Kim Ark was unveiled and blessed with a lion dance in San Francisco's Chinatown. It stands as a permanent reminder that Asian Americans have never been passive bystanders in the story of American democracy—we built the legal bedrock that protects everyone.

"His fight was not just his own, it was for me and for generations to come," Norman Wong said in an earlier speech at a rally outside the Supreme Court building. "This is Wong Kim Ark's legacy. This is my legacy. It is our legacy, and now it is our responsibility to protect it for our children and for generations yet to come."

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X, BlueSky or at the blog Views From the Edge. If you find this perspective interesting, please repost.

Asian and Asian American players advance at Wimbledon

At Wimbledon, from left, clockwise: Jessica Pegula, Alex Eala and Naomi Osaka.

Led by Jessica Pegula, Asian and Asian American netters are setting Wmbledon's grass courts ablaze. 

Stepping onto the historic London courts as the formidable No. 4 seed, Pegula, the highest-ranked American woman in the world is on a mission to rewrite her Wimbledon narrative after a frustratingly early exit last year.

For a player who often flies under the mainstream media radar despite her top-tier status, the Korean American’s opening performance sent a loud, undeniable message to the rest of the Wimbledon field.

On Monday, June 29, Pegula stepped onto Court 2 and completely dismantled Czech qualifier Darja Vidmanova in a commanding 7-5, 6-3 in straight-sets.

Pegula openly admitted to battling some heavy first-round anxiety. But true to her resilient form, she channeled that nervous energy into pure power—breaking her opponent six times, dominating from the baseline, and reminding everyone why she is one of the most dangerous hard-court and grass-court threats in the game.

Pegula has zero intention of slowing down as she eyes a deep run to eclipse her historic 2023 quarterfinal appearance.

She is set to clash with Spain’s gritty veteran Sara Sorribes Tormo in a second-round showdown on Wednesday, July 1. 

Eala's historic win

Filipina tennis sensation Alex Eala just shattered another glass ceiling at the All England Club, delivering a historic masterclass to claim her first-ever Grand Slam singles main-draw victory.

Representing Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) globally, the 21-year-old tennis phenom dismantled Mexico’s Renata Zarazúa 6-1, 6-2 today on Court 12 to cement her status as a legitimate presence on the world stage.

Eala entered the tournament having already disrupted the status quo as the first player from the Philippines to secure a seeded spot (No. 29) in a Grand Slam singles
draw. 

Backed by a roaring, flag-waving Filipino contingent, Eala took absolute control of the baseline early, securing five straight games to close the opening set in just minutes.

Winning a dominant 83% of her first-serve points, she easily consolidated an early break in the second set before comfortably serving out the match.

For the global Filipino diaspora and marginalized communities watching elite spaces like Wimbledon, Eala's victory represents a monumental shift in representation. 

After battling through a heartbreaking, learning-curve exit against the defending champion last year, her bounce-back performance today marks the first-ever singles main-draw win by a Filipino player in the tournament's history. 

Eala returns to the courts on Thursday, July 2, for a highly anticipated rematch against Australia's Maya Joint who ruined Serena Williams return to competitive tennis by beating the 7-time Wimbledon champion Tuesday. 

Wednesday blitz

The tournament organizers packed Wednesday's schedule with a heavy dose of Asian and Asian American talent:

• Naomi Osaka: The 14th seed takes her iconic style to No. 2 Court for a first-time clash against Russian qualifier Anastasia Gasanova. They kick things off bright and early at 1 AM local time.

• Michael Zheng: Fresh off silencing Great Britain, the New Jersey sensation hits Court 17 at 11 AM EDT to battle Colombia's Nicolás Mejía.

• Janice Tjen: Looking to add another high-profile scalp to her resume, Indonesia’s rising force meets Australia's Daria Kasatkina on Court 16 around 12:30 PM local time (following the morning match).

• Mananchaya Sawangkaew: Thailand's history-maker will clash with American powerhouse Alycia Parks on Court 8. Their showdown starts right at 11 AM local time.

• Lanlana Tararudee: Facing a monumental test, Tararudee draws 18th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova. They anchor Court 4 with an 11:00 AM local time start. 

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X, BlueSky or at the blog Views From the Edge. If you find this perspective interesting, please repost.

A looming mandate: Why the High Court won’t let Trump erase birthright citizenshi[

UPDATED: 6/29/2026, Corrected  time frame for  the SCOTUS ruling.

The tension is palpable as the nation braces for this week’s expected Supreme Court order on birthright citizenship. 

For immigrant families and communities of color, the question at the heart of Trump v. Barbara is nothing short of existential: Will this deeply conservative bench deploy its usual legal gymnastics to validate Donald Trump’s executive order and dismantle birthright citizenship?

Despite a track record of letting the administration run roughshod over asylum seekers, court watchers broadly agree that even this right-leaning bench will draw the line at tearing up the 14th Amendment. 

After previous decision by the Robert's court, a decision on birthright citizenship will probably be issued in time for the United States' 250th anniversary.

Cecillia Wang’s Constitutional masterclass

The turning point came during April's oral arguments when ACLU National Legal Director Cecillia Wang stepped up to the podium. Wang, a daughter of immigrants herself, didn't just argue a case — she delivered a masterclass on the separation of powers and stare decisis.

Wang dismantled the administration's overreach, arguing that birthright citizenship is unequivocally mandated by the text of the 14th Amendment and backed by ironclad precedent. She anchored her defense in the landmark 1898 ruling United States v. Wong Kim Ark, which firmly established that citizenship hinges on birth location, not parental status.

Wang warned the justices that allowing an executive order to override a constitutional right would unleash legal chaos, effectively creating a retroactive, second-class tier of citizens. Her message was clear: A fundamental constitutional right cannot be wiped away by a president's Executive Order.

Skepticism from the bench

Wang’s arguments clearly resonated across a divided bench. Chief Justice John Roberts openly mocked the administration's reliance on "quirky" and "idiosyncratic" historical exceptions—like the children of foreign diplomats or invading soldiers—to justify denying citizenship to millions.

Justice Elena Kagan slammed the government's use of "obscure sources," while Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson targeted the logistical absurdity of the policy, imagining a reality where parents are forced to produce immigration papers in delivery rooms. Even conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch expressed profound skepticism toward the administration's reliance on outdated Roman law concepts.

While this Supreme Court has repeatedly shown its willingness to bend the rules for Trump's conservative agenda, rewriting the very fabric of American citizenship appears to be a bridge too far.

---

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary,   news, views, and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, X, BlueSky, or directly at Views From the Edge. If you find this perspective interesting, please repost!

---

ELECTION 2026: Mixed bag for AAPI candidates in New York’s primary drama

STEVEN RAGA / FACEBOOK

Incumbent Steven Raga got caught in Democratic Socialist wave and lost his Assembly sesat.

The dust is finally settling on the high-stakes June 23 Democratic primary, and for Asian American candidates, it was a night of historic holds, heavy heartbreak, and high-dollar celebrity defeats. 

From the streets of Flushing to the halls of Lower Manhattan, Asian American communities proved once again that we are not a monolith — neither in how we vote nor in how we fare at the ballot box.

Two Asian Americans incumbents lose their offices

The biggest shockwaves of the night were felt across Queens, where the political muscle of the newly minted Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) completely reshaped the borough's leadership by defeating two Asian American legislators.

Moderate South Asian incumbent Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar suffered a staggering defeat in Assembly District 38. Rajkumar, the first South Asian American woman elected to the state legislature, had closely aligned her political brand with disgraced former Mayor Eric Adams—a gamble that backfired heavily as Mamdani voters prioritized socialist policy over identity politics.

Jenifer Rajkumar

Rajkumar made history as the first South Asian woman and first Hindu elected to New York State office when she was elected in 2021.

DSA-backed challenger David Orkin unseated Rajkumar in a landslide, capturing 59% of the vote to her 41%.

Meanwhile, history-making incumbent Assemblyman Steven Raga faced his own heartbreak. Making a bold gamble to vacate his Assembly seat to run for State Senate District 12 in Western Queens, New York's first Filipino American state legislator ran straight into Mamdani's organizing machine.

Even though Raga had backed Mamdani's mayoral race, the Indian American mayor chose to endorse progressive Aber Kawas, who swept the district with 60% of the vote. 

Both Kawas and Raga were considered "progressive," but the difference being their position on Palestine. Despite co-sponsoring a bill that would cut New York support of nonprofits supporting the Israeli settlements. In the end, critics felt that Raga was not pro-Palestine enough compared to Kawas, who is Muslim and Palestinian American, which appealed to the large Arab population in the district.

Raga vowed to his supporters that his fight for the people of Queens “will not end tonight. 

“I will continue fighting for affordable health care, housing, immigrant justice, and human dignity, because no child in New York should have to endure what that seven-year-old boy endured,” he told his supporters as he conceded. 

“This campaign may be ending, but our work is not. I will never stop fighting for the communities that raised me, and I remain hopeful about what we can build together. The movement we built belongs to the people of Western Queens. And its story is far from over.”

Here’s the breakdown of how the AAPI political landscape shifted on primary night.

Meng fends off insurgent challenge

In New York's Congressional District 6, incumbent Representative Grace Meng proved why she remains the gold standard of Queens politics. Facing a spirited, progressive challenge from former U.S. diplomat Chuck Park, Meng locked down the Democratic nomination with 56.8% of the vote. 

Surrounded by a sea of blue-and-orange "Grace Meng for Congress" Knicks-style shirts at her downtown Flushing watch party, New York’s first and only Asian American congressmember thanked a community that stood by her even on a rainy election day. With the district rated as solidly Democratic, Meng is smoothly cruising toward November.

FACEBOOK

New York's Rep. Grace Meng with her family and supporters celebrate her primary win.

“This victory belongs to every volunteer, organizer, and neighbor who believed that the work we’ve been doing together matters, and I want to congratulate Chuck Park on running a hard and spirited campaign,” said Meng on election night.

“November is next, and I am asking every New Yorker who believes in what we’re fighting for to stay engaged, show up, and help us take back Congress so we can take back this country from Donald Trump and his corrupt regime.”

Meng, chair of the Congreassional Asian Pacific American Caucus, is also co-chair of the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism.

In November, she will face an immigrant from Taiwan, Joseph Chou, who ran unopposed in the Republican primary.

Grace Lee triumphs

Down in State Senate District 27, we saw a battle of titans. Assemblywoman Grace Lee — the historic first Korean American woman elected to the state Legislature—handily defeated former Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou. 

The open seat, left vacant by retiring Senator Brian Kavanagh, saw both progressive women clash over local issues like affordable housing and the controversial Chinatown jail site. Ultimately, Lee commandingly secured the nomination, defeating Niou 62% to 37%.

George Conway fails to launch

In the high-income NY-12 spanning Manhattan’s Upper East and West Sides, high-profile anti-Trump pundit and Lincoln Project co-founder George Conway (who is of Filipino descent) learned that national media fame doesn't always translate to local love.

George Conway

Aiming to succeed retiring liberal icon Jerry Nadler, Conway’s hyper-focus on fighting Donald Trump failed to resonate deeply with local primary voters. 

In a jaw-droppingly expensive $26-million primary dominated by tech-backed Super PACs, Conway finished a distant fifth place with just 6% of the vote. Assemblyman Micah Lasher ultimately claimed the victory in a crowded field of Democrats that included fellow Assemblyman Alex Bores and Kennedy family scion Jack Schlossberg.

Conway, who changed parties from Republican to Democrat, also was a newcomer to the district. He lost in the crowded campaign field, won by Assemblyman Micah Lesher, who had the endorsement of the Democratic Party. Lasher emerged from a very competitive field of Democrats that included fellow Assemblyman Alex Bores and Kennedy family scion Jack Schlossberg.

When asked about his single-issue campaign to fight Trump and fascism, Conway didn't back away. "That was the thrust of my campaign, and I think a lot of people are, you know, getting the message."

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Donald Trump were issues in New York's primary.

View from the edge

Establishment Democrats are reeling after a historic, progressive clean sweep in New York, proving that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s political playbook has rewritten the rules of the game.

The progressive, democratic socialist wing did not just compete in Tuesday's congressional primaries—they staged a absolute takeover, shattering the status quo and sending shockwaves directly through the national party leadership.

For years, party insiders claimed progressives couldn't win broad, institutional primary matchups against deep-pocketed incumbents. Tuesday's results proved those outdated myths entirely wrong. Despite heavy backing from party titans like House Minority Leader Hakeems Jeffries, the establishment slate collapsed.

Perhaps the biggest blow was the victory of progressive veteran Brad Lander who completely dismantled two-term incumbent Rep. Dan Goldman in New York's Congressional District10, walking away with an overwhelming 30-point victory over the liberal.

In NY-13, democratic socialist Darializa Avila Chevalier toppled five-term veteran Rep. Adriano Espaillat, the powerful chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
Mandami-endorsed State Assemblymember Claire Valdez ccaptured the open seat in NY-7, beating out Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso.

This election wasn't just about local neighborhood issues; it was a defining mandate on the war in Gaza. All three of Mamdani’s backed winners ran unapologetically on platforms demanding Palestinian rights and an end to unconditional U.S. military aid to Israel. Avila Chevalier, a prominent anti-war organizer, successfully translated grassroots activism into electoral dominance, proving that progressive voters are demanding a massive shift in American foreign policy.

The ripple effects stretch far beyond the borders of New York. As Mamdani boldly declared on election night, this sweep effectively fires the opening salvo for the 2028 Democratic presidential primary cycle. Any candidate looking to lead the national ticket will no longer be able to ignore or dismiss this heavily organized, ascendant wing of the party.

Mamdani and the DSA victories showed that they are a new factor in the big-tent Democrats. But it is still a question mark whether or not the sentiment in New York reflects the rest of the country. That's the question the Democrats must answer before 2028 if and when we must choose the whether or not our country will continue the American experiment.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X, BlueSky or at the blog Views From the Edge. If you find this perspective interesting, please repost.