Can Donald Trump end birthright citizenship in the US?
Al Jazeera
The 14th Amendment of the US Constitution guarantees birthright citizenship. Amending it is a lengthy, difficult process.
President-elect Donald Trump said he plans to end birthright citizenship in the United States in an interview with NBC’s Kristen Welker on a Meet the Press episode that aired on Sunday, reiterating a position he has articulated earlier too.
Were Trump to try to execute that plan once he takes office, it would involve undoing how the US has treated citizenship for more than 150 years.
But can Trump end birthright citizenship in the US, and what happens if he does?
When Welker asked Trump whether he still plans to end birthright citizenship on day one in office, Trump replied: “Yeah, absolutely.”
Birthright citizenship essentially means that anyone born in the US automatically becomes a US citizen, which includes children of undocumented immigrants or tourists and students on short-term visas.
