With Donald Trump preparing to take office in the coming weeks, one major point on his agenda is ending birthright citizenship.
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During an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Trump reiterated his intention to eliminate it on day one, though he couldn’t provide details on how he might bypass the 14th Amendment.
“We’re going to have to get it changed. We’ll maybe have to go back to the people,” Trump said. “But we have to end it.”
Despite his claim that only the U.S. offers birthright citizenship, other countries like Brazil, Costa Rica and Canada also maintain similar policies. Trump’s stance on Dreamers — children brought to the U.S. at a young age — was more accommodating. He expressed a willingness to work with Democrats on a solution, acknowledging their challenges and stating, “We’re going to do something about the Dreamers because these are people that have been brought here at a very young age.”
Yet, Trump’s approach to illegal immigration remains tough, stating, “I think you have to do it,” with a focus on deporting those with criminal records first, then expanding the criteria.
“They came in illegally. You know the people that have been treated very unfairly are the people that have been on line for ten years to come into the country,” Trump explained. “We’re going to make it very easy for people to come in in terms of they have to pass the test.” This includes knowing about the country’s history and culture and not coming from a prison background.
