President Donald Trump didn’t mince words Thursday when he called out what he sees as blatant abuse of America’s birthright citizenship laws, singling out wealthy foreigners who game the system to secure U.S. citizenship for their children.
“It was not meant for Chinese billionaires to have their children become citizens of our country,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office during an appearance airing live on Newsmax.
The president’s sharp rebuke came as the nation awaits a Supreme Court decision that could reshape immigration policy for generations. The high court heard arguments earlier this month over Trump’s executive order seeking to end automatic birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to illegal immigrants and some temporary visa holders. A ruling is expected this summer.
Trump called the case “a very big one” and warned of dire consequences if the court sides against his administration.
“If this is allowed to stand, it will be a disaster economically for our country,” he said. “You’ll have 25% of the people coming into our country coming in through birthright citizenship, and we won’t have any control.”
The president made clear his frustration with the current state of the law.
“Birthright citizenship is a disgrace,” Trump said.
He also took aim at those challenging his administration’s efforts to end the practice. “Study the people that are bringing the suit. These are not people that love our country.”
At the heart of the legal battle is the 14th Amendment, which states that anyone “born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof,” is a U.S. citizen. Trump argued Thursday that the provision was never intended to apply broadly to anyone who happens to be born on American soil.
The constitutional language, he contended, was designed to protect the children of slaves after the Civil War. Not to create a loophole for foreign nationals.
“We’re the only country in the world that has it,” Trump said of America’s birthright citizenship policy. “You step into our country, and you’re all of a sudden a citizen.”
The president expressed skepticism about his chances before the Supreme Court, suggesting the justices have been less than friendly to his agenda.
“They’ll probably rule against me because they seem to like doing that,” Trump said. “Frankly, I’m not happy with some of the decisions.”
The case represents one of the most significant constitutional questions to reach the high court in years. If Trump prevails, it would mark a dramatic shift in how citizenship is determined in the United States. Children born to illegal immigrants or certain visa holders would no longer automatically receive the full rights and privileges of American citizenship.
Critics of birthright citizenship have long argued that the practice incentivizes illegal immigration and so-called “birth tourism,” where pregnant women travel to the United States specifically so their children will be born as American citizens. Supporters counter that the 14th Amendment’s language is clear and that changing the interpretation would require a constitutional amendment.
Trump’s warnings about economic consequences echo concerns raised by immigration hawks who argue that automatic citizenship creates enormous long-term costs for American taxpayers. The president suggested that without reform, a significant portion of future immigration will be driven by those seeking to exploit the birthright loophole.
The Supreme Court’s decision will likely arrive during the heat of summer, setting the stage for what promises to be a contentious political battle regardless of which way the justices rule.
