‘Birthright citizenship was meant for children of slaves, not for entire world to pile in’: Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump has reiterated his stance on birthright citizenship, stating that it was originally intended for the children of slaves and not for "the whole world to come in and pile into the United States." On his first day in office, Trump issued an executive order to end this practice, which was immediately blocked by a federal court in Seattle. 

“Birthright citizenship was, if you look back when this was passed and made, that was meant for the children of slaves. This was not meant for the whole world to come in and pile into the United States of America,”  he told reporters in the Oval Office. 

Calling it a ‘very good and noble’ thing to do, Trump said, “Everybody coming in, and totally unqualified people with perhaps unqualified children. This wasn't meant for that…I'm in favour of that 100 per cent. But it wasn't meant for the entire world to occupy the United States…I just think that we'll end up winning that in the Supreme Court. I think we're going to win that case. I look forward to winning it."

After Trump's executive order, a US federal judge issued a temporary restraining order, describing the measure as "blatantly unconstitutional." Judge John Coughenour's decision came swiftly after several Democratic-led states, including Washington, Arizona, Illinois, and Oregon, filed lawsuits challenging the order. 

The directive aimed to exclude children born in the US from citizenship if neither parent is a US citizen or legal permanent resident. This legal battle underscores the contentious nature of Trump's immigration policies, with states arguing that the order violates rights established by the Constitution. 

The legislative landscape surrounding this issue has also seen movement, with a group of Republican Senators introducing a bill to restrict birthright citizenship to children of illegal immigrants and non-immigrants on temporary visas. Senators Lindsey Graham, Ted Cruz, and Katie Britt, who sponsored the bill, argue that the current policy is a significant pull factor for illegal immigration and a national security vulnerability. 

The US remains one of only 33 countries without restrictions on birthright citizenship, a fact often highlighted in debates over immigration policy. 

The implications of potentially ending birthright citizenship are vast, with estimates suggesting that Trump's order could deny citizenship to over 150,000 children born in the US annually. Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell has criticised the move, stating that Trump does not have the authority to take away constitutional rights.