Osamagbe Imadiyi
An executive order signed by US President Donald Trump aims to revoke birthright citizenship, which is protected by the US Constitution and upheld by the Supreme Court over 125 years ago. In an attempt to begin reshaping federal immigration and border policy, Trump issued a flurry of executive actions on Monday, many of which are anticipated to encounter serious legal obstacles.
In his inaugural speech, Trump declared, “As commander in chief, I have no greater responsibility than to defend our country from threats and invasions, and that is what I am going to do.” According to reports, the US government has long construed the US Constitution to mean that all people born in the US are citizens at birth, regardless of the immigration status of their parents.
The Constitution’s 14th Amendment states that “Everyone born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to its jurisdiction, is a citizen of the United States and of the State in which they reside.” However, Trump ordered federal agencies to stop issuing passports, citizenship certificates, and other documents to children born in the United States to mothers who are not citizens or legal permanent residents and fathers who are not citizens or legal permanent residents, as well as to mothers who are temporarily in the country with a visa (and fathers who are not citizens or legal permanent residents).