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Trump calling on Congress to possibly amend Constitution to end birthright citizenship
After the Supreme Court upheld the 14th Amendment’s interpretation, President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers are urging changes to birthright citizenship laws.
Supervising Producer
WASHINGTON —
Republicans are pushing for changes to the U.S. birthright citizenship law after the Supreme Court affirmed the long-standing interpretation of the 14th Amendment on Tuesday.
President Donald Trump criticized the ruling, calling it “bad for our country” and urging Congress to act immediately to end birthright citizenship in the United States.
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Birthright citizenship was challenged on the first day of Trump’s second term, when he signed an executive order to invalidate how the amendment is interpreted. The order would deny citizenship to anyone born in the U.S. on or after Feb. 19, 2025, whose parents are in the country illegally or temporarily.
The Supreme Court determined Trump’s action was illegal.
After the high court’s ruling, Sen. Eric Schmitt, of Missouri, shared a lengthy post calling for lawmakers to amend the Constitution. Schmitt later posted that a change to the Constitution might not be necessary.
Republican Sen. Mike Lee, of Utah, said, “We’re going to need a constitutional amendment.”
For more than a century, the Constitution has indicated that birthright citizenship grants automatic citizenship to nearly everyone born on U.S. soil under the 14th Amendment.
House Speaker Mike Johnson also addressed the issue, appealing to Congress to take action.
“I think it’s clearly an issue that merits the attention of Congress,” Johnson said. “I don’t know what the remedy is, how to define it, or the timeline. It would be premature for me to project that, but I will tell you that it’s a big concern with the American people because it’s been abused.”
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