The American Civil Liberties Union is using a familiar Bruce Springsteen song in a new advertising campaign to support birthright citizenship in the U.S. Watch the 30-second clip below.
Their ad arrives ahead of an April 1 hearing in the case of Trump v. Barbara before the U.S. Supreme Court. This lawsuit was filed after President Trump‘s January 2025 executive order attempting to redefine the Constitution’s 14th Amendment, which automatically grants citizenship to anyone born in the U.S.
The ACLU filed one of many lawsuits to stop this change, including others led by various governors and state attorneys general. Trump’s order was initially blocked by district courts and appeals continued until they reached the nation’s highest court.
How Bruce Springsteen Joined Forces Against Trump’s Order
Justices then announced in December 2025 that the Supreme Court would take up the ACLU case – and only their case. The ACLU’s legal director Cecillia Wang is arguing against Trump’s order.
So, how did Springsteen get involved? That traces back to an interview between ACLU executive director Anthony Romero and former Good Morning America anchor Katie Couric, when Romero says he spontaneously began singing lines from “Born in the U.S.A.”
Watch the Interview That Led to Bruce Springsteen’s Involvement
“I was answering a question from Katie about one of President Trump’s executive orders on day one, in which he had the audacity to try to end birthright citizenship,” Romero tells Rolling Stone. “‘Born in the U.S.A.’ is the perfect song to capture what’s at stake in this Supreme Court case and how birthright citizenship is integral to America. … The song calls on our nation to live up to its ideals.”
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“Born in the U.S.A” is paired in the new spot with images of people from different backgrounds who might be impacted by the Supreme Court decision. “We wanted to reach folks who normally don’t hear from or pay attention to the ACLU,” Romero added. “We want people who don’t pay attention to politics or the Supreme Court to take interest.”
“Born in the U.S.A.,” the galvanizing title song from Springsteen’s blockbuster 1984 album, was a three-times platinum Top 10 smash.
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Gallery Credit: Michael Gallucci
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