A Trump order asserts that a child born in the U.S. is not a citizen if 1) the mother does not have legal immigration status or is in the country legally but only temporarily and 2) the father is not a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident. The order forbids U.S. agencies from issuing any document recognizing such a child as a citizen or accept any state document recognizing citizenship. This order is already being challenged in federal court.
Let’s talk about this for a moment. – besides the fact what he is doing is AGAINST the CONSTITUTION….
The 14th Amendment has been consistently interpreted to grant birthright citizenship to all persons born in the US, regardless of their parents’ immigration status. However, if this were to be upheld, it will have profound and potentially devastating consequences for many families, particularly those with mixed immigration statuses. Here’s a breakdown of the impacts:
- Denial of Citizenship to US-Born Children: The core impact would be the denial of US citizenship to children born in the US to parents who do not meet the new, more restrictive criteria. This would create a class of stateless individuals born and raised within the US borders, potentially subject to significant legal and social disadvantages.
- Family Separation: This could lead to the forced separation of families where one or both parents are not US citizens or lawful permanent residents. Children could be denied citizenship while their parents remain in the US, or they could be subject to deportation alongside their parents.
- Increased Uncertainty and Fear: This change would create significant uncertainty and fear within immigrant communities. Families would live in constant anxiety about the potential loss of their children’s citizenship and the possibility of family separation.
- Social and Economic Disruption: Denying citizenship to a significant portion of the US-born population would have far-reaching social and economic consequences. These individuals would be denied access to fundamental rights and benefits, including education, healthcare, and employment opportunities.