A significant online discussion has emerged regarding the U.S. citizenship status of Donald Trump’s children, following his renewed attempts to abolish birthright citizenship. In January, the former president, now serving his second term, enacted an executive order aimed at terminating this constitutional right, with reports suggesting that the policy may be put into effect in certain states by the end of July. Birthright citizenship, as established by the 14th Amendment, guarantees that nearly anyone born on U.S. soil automatically acquires citizenship, irrespective of their parents’ legal status.
The 14th Amendment explicitly states that all individuals born or naturalized in the U.S. are citizens. Trump’s executive order would mandate that children must have at least one parent who is either a U.S. citizen or a legal permanent resident to be eligible for citizenship at birth. This policy primarily targets the offspring of undocumented immigrants and those holding temporary visas, forming part of Trump’s larger strategy to curb illegal immigration throughout the nation.
Despite the order being signed earlier this year, the laws governing birthright citizenship remain unchanged as of July 4. However, a recent Supreme Court decision on June 27 restricts the capacity of lower courts to obstruct federal policies nationwide, potentially facilitating the advancement of Trump’s order in states that are not actively contesting it. Nevertheless, the order encounters legal challenges before it can be implemented on a national scale.
As the order gains momentum, social media users have shifted their focus to Trump’s own children. Critics have highlighted that his first wife, Ivana, and his current wife, Melania, were not U.S. citizens at the time their children were born, prompting inquiries about consistency and fairness.
Nonetheless, it has been clarified by others that Donald Trump, being a U.S. citizen, is the father of all the children in question, and both Ivana and Melania possessed green cards at the time their children were born. Consequently, under the changes proposed by Trump, his children would still be eligible for U.S. citizenship, regardless of the persistent online controversy and scrutiny.
