Washington, DC – In a new interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong emphasized his pledge to protect and preserve birthright citizenship – something the incoming Trump administration aims to dismantle. AG Tong also discussed how he and his fellow Democratic Attorneys General will be working together on protecting every American if the Trump administration violates the law and Constitution.

Key Quotes from AG Tong:

• “I was the first American born in my immediate family,” Tong said. “And in one generation I’ve gone from working with my parents in our hot Chinese restaurant kitchen to being the attorney general of our state and and that was all made possible by the by the right of my birth, the right to be an American citizen – a right that’s given me an opportunity to have the education, the employment opportunities of jobs that I’ve had that have given the opportunity to run for office, it is the enduring promise of America…”
• “Well, I know my fellow attorneys general are committed to stopping him. We’re gonna be a firewall for the American people, for immigrants, for not just on immigration, but also reproductive freedom, for the environment, against gun violence,” AG Tong said. “We are going to use the law as a sword and as my friend Tish James says, also as a shield to protect our states.”

• “The 14th amendment is very clear…if you’re born on American soil or under the jurisdiction of the United States of America, you’re an American. Period.”

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