- Trump signed a first executive order denying citizenship to children born to an “alien enemy” such as members of foreign terrorist organizations or children of foreign lobbyists.
- He also signed a second executive order denying automatic citizenship to children of people who fraudulently request tourist visas for the purpose of giving birth in the U.S.
- Trump criticized birthright citizenship as a business for wealthy people, claiming there were “hundreds of thousands” of people attempting to have children in the U.S.
- He argued the 14th Amendment was “meant for the babies of slaves” after the Civil War, not for wealthy individuals bringing many children.
- Trump slammed the original Supreme Court ruling as a “bad decision”, stating, “Our country suffers because of it”.
- When asked if his new order will pass the Supreme Court, Trump expressed confidence, saying, “I think it will.”
- The ACLU’s Cody Wofsy stated that the Supreme Court already decided that birthright citizenship is guaranteed by the Constitution, and any new executive order will meet the same fate as the last one.
President Trump has signed two executive orders that would restrict birthright citizenship for children born to 'alien enemies' and those involved in tourist-visa fraud. The first order specifies that children born to members of foreign terrorist organizations or foreign lobbyists would be ineligible for citizenship.3489
The second order targets children of individuals who fraudulently request tourist visas for the purpose of giving birth in the U.S., stating they would not automatically gain citizenship.2
Trump claimed that “wealthy people are building businesses around birthright citizenship” and emphasized that the 14th Amendment was originally intended for the children of slaves, not for wealthy foreigners.5
He criticized the Supreme Court's previous ruling that deemed his earlier efforts unconstitutional, calling it a “bad decision, very unfair decision” and expressed confidence that his new orders would pass constitutional muster, stating, “I think it will.”7
However, the ACLU's Cody Wofsy countered, “The Supreme Court already decided this issue: Birthright citizenship is guaranteed by the Constitution.” He warned that any new executive order attempting to alter this would face the same fate as Trump's last attempt, which was struck down by the court.
“Trump claimed 'hundreds of thousands' attempt to have children in the U.S., citing unnamed individuals with 56 and 98 children. He argued the 14th Amendment was 'meant for the babies of slaves,' not wealthy multi-millionaires, and predicted the Supreme Court will uphold his orders.”
The Daily Beast
