President Trump Proposes An End To Birthright Citizenship

President Trump 

President Trump is proposing an end to birthright citizenship.  He plans to use an executive order to achieve it.


According to a financial Times, Mr Trump told the US media outlet Axios that he had discussed the plans with the White House counsel’s office and that it was “in process”.


Many has predicted that such proposal would have a legal backlash as pro immigrant supporters who would not support such change of the constitution.

Under current interpretation of the US constitution, American law considers people born in the US to be citizens regardless of whether their parents were in the country illegally. The constitutional amendment establishing that right was ratified in 1868.

But Mr Trump said he has discussed the issue with legal advisers who believe the 14th Amendment has been misinterpreted, allowing him to change the practice unilaterally.

“We’re the only country in the world where a person comes in and has a baby, and the baby is essentially a citizen of the United States . . . with all of those benefits,” he said in the Axios interview.

Is this true?  Is America really the only country with birthrightcitizenship?


Undoubtedly,  using an executive order to end birthright could spark a constitutional fight.

The 14th Amendment, passed as part of a raft of post-Civil War legislation that secured the rights of former African-American slaves, reads: “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.”

FT reported that Mr Trump said a new amendment, which would require approval of two-thirds of both houses of Congress and ratification by 38 states, was unnecessary. He said the changes could “definitely” be made through an act of Congress; such normal legislation requires simple majorities. An executive order requires no congressional approval.

About 275,000 babies were born to immigrants not authorised to live in the US in 2014, accounting for 7 per cent of all American births, according to estimates by Pew Research Center based on official government data.

We will continue to monitor how this proposal will turn out.....

Keep date with me.

Credit to Financial Times,  Photo- gettyimage 

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