President Donald Trump reiterated on the 16th that the U.S. constitutional right of “birthright citizenship” does not apply to immigrants who are in the country illegally. On that day, President Trump wrote on his social media platform, TruthSocial, stating, “The 14th Amendment to the U.S. citizenship has absolutely nothing to do with today’s ‘gate crashers’ or illegal immigrants who have broken the law and entered our country.” He emphasized that “The 14th Amendment was only intended to grant citizenship to former slaves.”
The logic behind this statement is that the 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, was designed to grant citizenship to freed black slaves, five years after former President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. According to President Trump, this amendment was not intended to apply to illegal immigrants. He also remarked, “The founding fathers of this country are probably sighing in their graves at the thought of their country being taken away from them,” adding, “No country in the world has ever done this.”
On the day of his inauguration, January 20th, President Trump signed an executive order restricting existing birthright citizenship. The order stipulates that if the mother is not legally residing in the United States and the father is not a U.S. citizen or a legal permanent resident, citizenship will not be automatically granted, even if the child is born on U.S. soil.
However, there have been a series of constitutional lawsuits filed against this policy, and some federal courts have ruled that it is unconstitutional. These rulings have put the brakes on President Trump’s policy, meaning the controversy may ultimately reach the Supreme Court. Acknowledging the ongoing legal battle, President Trump wrote, “Our lawyers and judges must be strong and protect America.”