Washington:
The debate over birthright citizenship has been rekindled, with President Donald Trump at the forefront. Trump has consistently argued that this provision was originally intended to benefit the children of slaves, not to provide a blanket opportunity for individuals worldwide to claim US citizenship.
“Birthright citizenship was, if you look back when this was passed and made, that was meant for the children of slaves. This was not meant for the whole world to come in and pile into the United States of America,” Trump made the statement in the Oval Office of the White House.
“Everybody coming in, and totally unqualified people with perhaps unqualified children. This wasn’t meant for that,” he said.
Trump emphasised that birthright citizenship was “meant for the children of slaves” and deemed it a “very good and noble” provision. However, he stressed that it was not intended for the global community to exploit. Trump asserted, “I’m in favor of that 100 per cent. But it wasn’t meant for the entire world to occupy the United States”.
The President’s stance on this issue has been consistent, and he’s taken concrete steps to challenge the status quo. On his first day in office, he issued an executive order aimed at revoking birthright citizenship, although it was swiftly struck down by a federal court in Seattle. Trump expressed confidence that the Supreme Court would ultimately rule in his favor.
Republican Senators Lindsey Graham, Ted Cruz, and Katie Britt have introduced a bill that aligns with Trump’s views. The proposed legislation, titled the Birthright Citizenship Act of 2025, aims to restrict birthright citizenship to children born to illegal immigrants and non-immigrants on temporary visas. The senators argue that the current policy is a significant draw for illegal immigration and poses a threat to national security.
The US is one of only 33 countries that do not impose restrictions on birthright citizenship. According to the Center for Immigration Studies, approximately 225,000 to 250,000 births in the US in 2023 were to illegal immigrants, accounting for nearly seven percent of total births.
The Birthright Citizenship Act of 2025 proposes to redefine eligibility criteria for citizenship by birth, limiting it to children with at least one parent who is a US citizen or national, a lawful permanent resident, or an alien serving in the armed forces. This legislation would only apply to children born after its enactment.