In a bold and divisive move, President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aimed at ending birthright citizenship—a right enshrined in the US Constitution and upheld by the Supreme Court for over 125 years.
On Monday, Trump unleashed a barrage of executive actions designed to overhaul federal immigration and border policy, many of which are poised to face intense legal scrutiny.
“As Commander in Chief, I have no higher responsibility than to defend our country from threats and invasions, and that is what I’m going to do,” Trump declared during his inaugural address.
According to CBS News, the US government has traditionally interpreted the Constitution to guarantee that anyone born on American soil is a citizen at birth, irrespective of their parents’ immigration status. The 14th Amendment states: “All persons born or naturalised in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”
However, Trump’s new directive instructs federal agencies to halt the issuance of passports, citizenship certificates, and other official documents to children born in the US to mothers who are undocumented immigrants, or to mothers holding temporary visas, along with fathers who are not citizens or legal permanent residents. This edict is set to take effect in 30 days but will not apply retroactively.
Just hours after the order was signed, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other advocacy groups swiftly filed a lawsuit in federal court to challenge the legality of the action.
In addition to targeting birthright citizenship, Trump invoked extraordinary presidential powers to effectively suspend US asylum laws, labeling migrants as part of an “invasion” at the southern border that threatens public health. He authorized officials to “repel, repatriate, or remove” migrants, effectively halting their “physical entry” into the US until he issues a finding that the so-called invasion has ceased.
This unprecedented executive order raises significant questions about the future of immigration policy and the interpretation of constitutional rights in America.
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