The Court has ruled.
Congress hasn’t.
In Trump v. Barbara, the Supreme Court read the Fourteenth Amendment against our position on birthright citizenship. We accept the ruling as binding — and we are building the research, the campaign, and the supporter base to change the law the lawful way: through Congress and the Constitution itself.
New here? Three ways in.
An institution built for the long term.
NCI combines rigorous research with organized advocacy. We produce analysis built to be cited by lawmakers, journalists, and the courts — and we build the supporter base and public case to turn it into law. Credible research is our foundation; reform is our purpose.
Every argument answers a single question: what evidence supports this? We build credibility through transparency — and we never sacrifice it for speed.
About the InstituteRestore the meaning of American citizenship.
American citizenship is the foundation of self-government — yet its rules have drifted far from the Constitution's original design. NCI builds the research, the public case, and the membership to reform them.
Our central objective is to end automatic birthright citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants and temporary visitors. In Trump v. Barbara (2026) the Supreme Court read the Fourteenth Amendment against our position — a ruling we accept as binding and argue is wrong. The road now runs through Congress: legislation amending the citizenship statute, 8 U.S.C. § 1401, along the lines Justice Kavanaugh's concurrence identified, and ultimately a constitutional amendment — alongside conservative reforms to naturalization, election integrity, and immigration.
Birthright citizenship reform
Advance statutory exceptions to automatic citizenship through Congress — the path Justice Kavanaugh's Trump v. Barbara concurrence identified — while building the long-term case for a constitutional amendment.
Naturalization integrity
Reforms that make citizenship mean something: real standards for civics, allegiance, and respect for the rule of law.
Election & citizenship integrity
Ensure that only citizens vote, with verifiable citizenship on the voter rolls.
Lawful, ordered immigration
Immigration policy that upholds the law and the value of citizenship it confers.
Research earns the argument. Supporters give it force. Together they move policy — from committee rooms to the ballot box.
NCI is a research and advocacy organization. Our positions are our own — grounded in primary sources, published in the open — and we distinguish reporting, analysis, and opinion in everything we release.
Add your name to the founding roll.
Free, counted in aggregate only, and called on when your voice can move a vote.
What we publish
Research, trackers, and educational tools — each designed to be accurate, well-sourced, and citable.
NCI Research
Long-form policy papers, historical analysis, legal research, and comparative policy studies.
ExploreNCI Briefings
Regular summaries covering federal developments, state legislation, court activity, and research updates.
ExploreCourt Watch
Landmark citizenship cases with timelines, summaries, and plain-English explanations.
ExploreLegislation Tracker
Curated federal and state measures on citizenship — filterable by level, status, and topic.
ExploreState Tracker
An interactive map of current law, recent legislation, and court activity in every state.
ExploreIssue Library
Evergreen educational content on history, citizenship law, Supreme Court cases, and constitutional text.
ExplorePrimary sources, in the open
Every position cites the constitutional text, statutes, and court opinions it rests on — and links to them, so you can check the work rather than take our word.
Reporting, analysis, and opinion — labeled
We distinguish what the sources establish from what we conclude, and we state the strongest version of the opposing case in everything we publish.
Independent and founder-led
NCI is an independent research and advocacy organization founded by Bob Fergus. Our positions are our own, published in the open and accountable to the record.
Become a Founding Supporter
NCI is new, and the people who join now are its foundation. Free, counted honestly — in aggregate only, never by name — and called on when your voice matters. The briefing comes with it.