Summary
Donald Trump has pledged to end birthright citizenship through an executive order if re-elected, targeting the 14th Amendment’s provision that grants citizenship to all born in the U.S.
Critics argue this policy would defy the Constitution, specifically its post-Civil War intent to ensure citizenship for former slaves.
Legal experts widely agree that the Amendment’s language includes children born to undocumented parents, but Trump’s proposal could lead to an immediate legal battle.
The policy would require federal agencies to verify parents’ immigration status, complicating access to Social Security numbers and passports for U.S.-born children.
English common law: a citizen is born in a land and that land was owned by a king. As such, the citizen and the land are like one. Citizens based upon birth are owed protection by the local king, while the local king is owed the work of said citizens.
The tradition of birthright citizenship is far older than the 14th Amendment. People were arguing about this crap in the middle ages.