Reverse course. That’s the loud and clear message Basil Russo and Italian American organizations are sending to the Italian government. A sweeping change to Italy’s citizenship laws has sparked backlash among major Italian Americans groups, who warn that the move could sever millions of descendants from their ancestral roots.

At the forefront of the opposition are the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations (COPOMIAO) and the Italian Sons and Daughters of America (ISDA) — both led by Russo, who calls the new measure sudden and unjustified.