US birthright citizenship challenge: Why countries must retain the right to determine who will be citizens
The US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) is hearing a case involving denial of citizenship by birth to some categories of persons living in the country. Through an executive order issued on Day 1 of his second term in office, Donald Trump signed a decree intended to protect the “meaning and value of American citizenship”. Through this decree he ended birthright citizenship for kids of illegal immigrants (aka undocumented immigrants), or even children of legal immigrants who may become permanent residents in future (like H1B workers or those on student visas). Under the US 14th amendment , anyone born in the US can automatically become a citizen. The amendment says, inter alia, that “All persons born or naturalised in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside.” The importance of this restriction of birthright citizenship to Trump’s MAGA base, which includes everyone from white supremacists to people who ...