On Thursday, President Trump expressed his administration’s stance on ending birthright citizenship just before a Supreme Court discussion on the matter, stating that the current approach portrays the United States as a “silly country.”
“There’s a significant case being debated at the U.S. Supreme Court today. Birthright citizenship wasn’t supposed to apply to individuals who temporarily come here to settle permanently and bring their families,” Trump shared on Truth Social during a trip to the Middle East.
“The U.S. is unique in this regard, and it’s not widely known, but drug cartels actually benefit from it!” he added. “We’re a foolish country for being politically correct when, in truth, this stands against what should be politically correct, contributing to dysfunction in America.”
Trump reiterated points he and his supporters made after signing an executive order aimed at revoking this type of citizenship. He mentioned that the 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, was meant to grant citizenship to the children of formerly enslaved individuals.
“It’s important to remember, this was established right after the Civil War. It has nothing to do with current immigration policies!” he remarked on the societal implications.
In March, the Trump administration sought emergency action from the Supreme Court to intervene against lower court rulings that were hindering his efforts to restrict birthright citizenship.
On Thursday, the justices were set to discuss the national injunction issue before determining if a lower court could issue such an injunction against Trump’s directive.
The core of this case revolves around the citizenship clause in the 14th Amendment, which has sparked debate across the political spectrum, including among conservative legal scholars, with the potential to escalate to the Supreme Court.
For years, most experts have supported the notion that birthright citizenship applies to nearly everyone born in the U.S., with just a few exceptions.
