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Why Trump Is Pushing to End Birthright Citizenship
Trump has announced his intention to pursue an executive action to end the constitutional guarantee of citizenship for children born on U.S. soil to undocumented immigrants. This controversial proposal, which challenges more than 150 years of legal precedent, has thrust immigration policy and constitutional interpretation back into the spotlight.
Birthright citizenship, enshrined in the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, guarantees that anyone born in the United States is automatically a citizen, regardless of their parents’ immigration status. The Citizenship Clause of the amendment, adopted in 1868, states:
“All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”
The clause was designed to provide citizenship to formerly enslaved individuals in the wake of the Civil War. Over time, the interpretation of the 14th Amendment has been broadened to include virtually all children born on U.S. soil, including those born to immigrants, both documented and undocumented.
For decades, birthright citizenship has been a cornerstone of America’s promise of equality and opportunity. However, it has also become a target for critics who argue that the policy incentivizes illegal…
