The 14th amendment of the US Constitution has been ratified and in use for over 150 years. The amendment assures that anyone born on American soil is a US citizen. However, since Trump’s presidency in 2016, he has repeatedly promised to end birthright citizenship in America; This would affect the 14th amendment under the US constitution. This is a subject he has been vocal about for almost a decade now.
What is birthright citizenship? Birthright citizenship allows for automatic citizenship for individuals born in the country’s territory, no matter what their parents’ citizenship status is. The 14th amendment supports birthright citizenship in section 1, where it says “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 14th amendment clearly promotes birthright citizenship as American civil rights. Trump has made it very clear of his opposition against that right, as he believes it worsens illegal immigration. He is not happy with the idea that the United States is giving automatic citizenship to babies whose parents aren’t documented. He has stated that he believes it is a way for illegal immigrants to gain access to US citizenship or legal residency quicker.
Trump wanted to try and end birthright citizenship through an executive order in 2018, but came across challenges that were difficult to overcome. Many Constitutional figures argued that Trump would have needed a Constitutional amendment in order for change; That birthright citizenship is clearly included in the, over 150 year old, 14th amendment.
Many civil and immigration rights groups had a major issue with Trump’s plan to end birthright citizenship. They largely advocated the importance of equal rights through the 14th amendment. Many also saw Trump’s act to alter the status of birthright citizenship as a strategy to attack basic standards of US citizenship. Others agree with Trump’s position; arguing that automatically giving US citizenship to children of undocumented parents motivates illegal immigration.
If Trump is successful in his hopes to end birthright citizenship, it would impact millions of families, individuals, and the country altogether. Children born to undocumented parents essentially are trapped; If they don’t have US citizenship, they would not be able to experience the same protections as citizens would. They would have no access to legal jobs or healthcare or even education. Families may be separated due to deportation of undocumented parents, leaving their US-born children behind. These additional challenges that millions of people will have to face are mystifying. How this issue eventually plays out could change not just immigration laws but also what it means to be a citizen in the United States for generations to come.
