FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: The Smoking Gun” – EXHIBIT A – U.S. Supreme Court Takes Up Birthright Citizenship
LOS ANGELES, CA — As the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to hear oral arguments on Wednesday, April 1st—an ironic and ominous date often known as “April Fools’ Day”—in the case Trump v. Barbara, a provocative new voice has entered the national conversation.
Theodore “Ted” Hayes, Jr., a 41-year veteran of Los Angeles’ Skid Row and longtime civil rights activist, has submitted a pro se Amicus Brief offering what he calls “Exhibit A—the smoking gun” in the debate over birthright citizenship. While not formally accepted, the brief is already drawing attention for its unconventional yet historically grounded argument regarding the meaning of the phrase:
“Any person born…”
🔗 Read the Amicus Brief: https://justiceville.us/amicus/
A Bridge from the Civil Rights Era to Skid Row
Hayes is no newcomer to social struggle. A product of the late 1960s Civil Rights era, he was shaped by the legacy and teachings of figures such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, the Black Panther movement, Medgar Evers, and James Merredith, et al.
Carrying those lessons into direct action, Hayes spent over four decades on the front lines—eight years living on Skid Row sidewalks, followed by thirteen years building and leading Dome Village. He is widely regarded as one of America’s most enduring advocates for the homeless and disenfranchised.
A Modern Civic Voice
Featured on the front page of The Wall Street Journal (July 5, 2024), Hayes has spent more than two decades operating under the identity “Mr. Citizen Patriot,” engaging civic, legal, and constitutional questions at a grassroots level.
His influences include a range of civic and intellectual figures, including U.S. Marine veteran James Spencer, broadcaster Ron Prince, community organizer Barbara Coe, Dr. Claud Anderson, and constitutional scholar Prof. John Eastman of the Claremont Institute.
The “Smoking Gun” Argument
In his Amicus Brief, Hayes advances what he calls the Primary Beneficiary Doctrine, asserting that:
- The Current Debate Is Misframed: Both sides rely on incomplete or incorrect historical foundations.
- The Original Beneficiaries Are Clear: Birthright citizenship, he argues, was enacted specifically to secure the legal status of those emerging from chattel slavery under the Civil Rights Act of 1866.
- “Exhibit A” — Johnson’s Veto: Hayes points to President Andrew Johnson’s veto message as decisive interpretive evidence identifying the intended beneficiaries of Reconstruction law.
- A National Reckoning Is Required: Hayes contends that partial reforms are insufficient and calls for a full constitutional re-examination grounded in Reconstruction history.
A Vision for the Union
Though a lay scholar, Hayes presents a structured and historically anchored argument driven by what he describes as a concern for the future of the Republic.
He links unresolved constitutional questions to present-day social conditions, including homelessness and community instability, and frames his work as part of a broader call to restore what he sees as an overlooked constitutional obligation.
“The Constitution is a debt the government has omitted to pay,” Hayes states.
“I am here to collect—for the people it was written to protect.”
Media & Scholarly Inquiries
Mr. Hayes is available for interviews, commentary, and academic discussion regarding his Amicus Brief and the Primary Beneficiary Doctrine.
Contact:
Email: Justiceville@TedHayes.us
Phone: 424-248-4219
Website: https://justiceville.us
Amicus Directory @ https://justiceville.us/
Johnson “Smoking Gun” Veto Directory @ https://justiceville.us/vetodire/
Digital Footprint: Search “Ted Hayes Jr.” on Google, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and LA Times Nexus.