United States President Donald Trump plans to do away with citizenship rights granted to babies of non-citizens and unauthorised immigrants born in the country, Axios reported. In an interview to Axios on HBO, the president said his legal counsel had informed him that he could execute his plans via an executive order.
“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,” he said. “It’s ridiculous. It’s ridiculous. And it has to end.” The website, however, cited documents that show that more than 30 nations have birthright citizenship.
The development is likely to trigger a constitutional debate as changing an amendment in the Constitution needs a two-thirds majority in the US House of Representatives and the Senate and the backing of three-fourths of US state legislatures, Reuters reported.
Trump told the interviewer, “You can definitely do it [remove the right] with an act of Congress. But now they are saying I can do it just with an executive order. It is in the process. It will happen.” It is unclear when he will pass such an executive order.
The 14th Amendment in the US Constitution provides for “all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof” to be considered as US citizens.
Trump’s comments come ahead of the November 6 midterm elections.
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