Donald Trump’s push to end birthright citizenship isn’t just about undocumented immigrants, and the potential impact could reach far wider than many might expect.
Donald Trump signed an executive order targeting the long-standing policy. The move would prevent children born in the United States from automatically receiving citizenship if their parents are in the country unlawfully or on temporary visas. That includes individuals on tourist, student, or work visas, according to Al Jazeera.
If implemented, this would mark a significant break from the 14th Amendment, which has guaranteed citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil since 1868.
While much of the focus has been on undocumented immigrants, the policy stretches beyond that. Children born to undocumented parents would be among the most directly impacted, according to VT. Data from Pew Research shows that in 2022 alone, around 1.2 million U.S. citizens were born to undocumented immigrants. Under Trump’s proposal, those children would no longer automatically qualify for citizenship. But the changes wouldn’t stop there.
