Trump Executive Order Challenges Birthright Citizenship Protections

The order reinterprets the Fourteenth Amendment, denying citizenship to certain U.S.-born children, sparking legal challenges and constitutional debate.

President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14160 on January 20, 2025, redefining the scope of the Citizenship Clause in the Fourteenth Amendment.
The order denies U.S. citizenship to children born in the U.S. to parents unlawfully present or temporarily in the country if neither parent is a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.
Legal experts argue the order contradicts over a century of established constitutional interpretation, including the Supreme Court's 1898 ruling in U.S. v. Wong Kim Ark.
Multiple lawsuits have been filed challenging the order's legality, with the Department of Justice defending the policy in court despite criticism of its arguments as inconsistent with precedent.
Critics highlight the historical and racial undertones of the policy, linking it to long-standing xenophobic sentiments in U.S. immigration history.