Trump v. Barbara · ¶509

When we understand the situation Wong Kim Ark and his parents faced, their domicile in the United States takes on a special meaning. If they had been white or black, they could have applied for naturalization. But because they were Chinese, the law forbade their naturalization. Id., at 701. By establishing domicile, they had done everything within their power to express their desire and intent to become Americans. If the Court had not interpreted the Citizenship Clause in the way set out in the holding, the result would have been a population permanently caught in limbo. The Chinese immigrants who were lawfully present before the enactment of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882, as well as all their descendants, could never become citizens no matter how much they wanted to be Americans, no matter how deep their roots in this country, and no matter how substantial their contributions to…

slip opinion, revised 7/01/26
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