Donald Trump vows to end birthright citizenship for children of unauthorised immigrants

Former United States president Donald Trump promised on Tuesday that he would seek to end automatic citizenship which is given to children of undocumented immigrants in the country. Trump has reignited an issue which was settled around 125 years ago by the supreme court.

In a video posted on social media, Trump said that if he gets elected, he will sign an executive order to ensure the kids of such migrants "will not receive automatic US citizenship".

However, if he takes such action, it would face condemnation and most certainly draw a legal challenge.

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In the same video posted on social media, Trump said that the move would be part of the broader crackdown on unauthorised immigrants and asylum-seekers in case he returns to the White House.

In a video, Trump said, "My policy will choke off a major incentive for continued illegal immigration, deter more migrants from coming and encourage many of the aliens Joe Biden has unlawfully let into our country to go back to their home countries. They must go back."

As quoted by CBS News, Stephen Yale-Loehr, who is an immigration law professor at Cornell University, said. "Any executive action that a president might try to end birthright citizenship would be challenged in court and would be likely struck down as unconstitutional." Yale-Loehr added that the move would likely not pass legal muster, but it could be a beneficial campaign tactic for Trump.

Yale-Loehr further said, "I think it's pretty clear that, for political purposes, he thinks that this kind of announcement will appeal to his base. It shows that he has anti-immigration credentials. And most of his voters don't know or don't care about whether such an executive order would be legal."

What is birthright citizenship in the Constitution?

Birthright citizenship is part of the Constitution's 14th Amendment, which was ratified in 1868. It was introduced three years after the conclusion of the American Civil War.

The cessation of the war was marked by the ending of the practice of enslaving Black people in Southern states. It also overturned a Supreme Court ruling that held that slaves and free African Americans were not entitled to US citizenship.

The US birthright citizenship allows a child born in the country to become a US citizen at birth, including an Indian, Eskimo, Aleutian, or other aboriginal tribe.

The law states that a person born outside of the US may acquire citizenship at birth if the person is a child of US citizens, who must meet certain residence or physical presence requirements in the nation. The person must meet all other applicable requirements under either INA 301 or INA 309.

(With inputs from agencies)

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