https://www.nytimes.com/article/trump-birthright-citizenship-constitution.html
President-elect Donald Trump has renewed his call to end birthright citizenship, a constitutional guarantee under the 14th Amendment granting citizenship to anyone born in the United States. While Trump suggested a need to “get it changed,” he was vague about specific actions, and legal experts agree the president cannot unilaterally abolish birthright citizenship. Efforts to reinterpret the amendment’s “jurisdiction” clause to exclude children of undocumented immigrants face significant legal and scholarly opposition but are increasingly being discussed.
Critics of birthright citizenship often raise concerns about “birth tourism” and “anchor babies,” alleging misuse of the policy for immigration benefits. However, data shows that most U.S.-born children of undocumented immigrants are not the result of recent illegal border crossings. Globally, 33 countries maintain unrestricted birthright citizenship, though others have introduced restrictions in recent decades. Legal scholars note that while changing this policy would require a constitutional amendment or judicial reinterpretation, shifting political and judicial landscapes may make such efforts more plausible in the future.