- US President Trump has signed an executive order to end birthright citizenship, challenging a 125-year-old constitutional right
- The 47th US president invoked extraordinary powers to suspend asylum law amid claims of an "invasion" at the southern border
- Legal challenges from advocacy groups mount against Trump’s controversial immigration reforms while many nationalities, including Nigerians, grumbled at the move
United States President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aimed at ending birthright citizenship, a right enshrined in the US Constitution and upheld by the Supreme Court for over 125 years.
On Monday, January 20, Trump signed a series of executive actions that seek to reshape the country’s federal immigration and border policies. These actions are expected to face fierce legal opposition.
“As commander in chief, I have no higher responsibility than to defend our country from threats and invasions, and that is what I’m going to do,” Trump declared in his inaugural address.
CBS News reports that the United States government has long interpreted the 14th Amendment of the Constitution to grant citizenship to anyone born on American soil, regardless of the immigration status of their parents.
The 14th Amendment states: “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.”
However, Trump’s new order directs federal agencies to cease issuing passports, citizenship certificates, and other documents to children born in the United States to mothers who are in the country illegally or are temporary visa holders, and fathers who are not citizens or legal permanent residents.
The executive action, which would not apply retroactively, is set to take effect in 30 days. Despite its immediate issuance, advocacy groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), have swiftly filed lawsuits to challenge the legality of the order in federal court.
The president also invoked his presidential powers to suspend US asylum law, describing the influx of migrants at the southern border as an “invasion” that poses a threat to public health. In his executive order, Trump authorised officials to “repel, repatriate, or remove” migrants, effectively halting their entry into the United States until he determines that the situation at the border has been resolved.
The far-reaching order grants the government broad powers to temporarily suspend adherence to US asylum law, raising concerns among human rights organisations and legal experts alike.
Donald Trump allegedly plans massive deportation starting Inauguration Day
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that Tom Homan, the incoming “border czar” for President-elect Donald Trump’s administration, revealed plans for significant operations targeting undocumented immigrants beginning on the day of the new president’s inauguration.
Homan, who previously served as acting director of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), described the looming deportation efforts as a “big raid” but explained that they would be “targeted enforcement operations” rather than indiscriminate actions while speaking with Fox News on January 18.
