Trump moves to end US birthright citizenship, says it was for slaves’ children
US President Donald Trump has again defended his bid to end birthright citizenship, claiming the constitutional guarantee was meant for the children of enslaved people, not for wealthy immigrants or temporary visitors. He argued that the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment, adopted after the Civil War, was designed for “the babies of slaves” and has since been “abused” by rich foreigners seeking US passports for their children. Trump signed an executive order on his first day back in office in January 2025, directing federal agencies to stop automatically recognising as citizens most children born in the US to non citizens. Under the order, babies born 30 days after his inauguration would no longer receive birthright citizenship if neither parent is a US citizen or permanent resident. Multiple federal courts quickly blocked the order, prompting a legal fight that has […]