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Published 07:46 IST, January 31st 2025

Birthright Citizenship Was For Slaves' Children, Not for World to 'Pile' into US: Trump's Big Remark Amid Raging Debate

Donald Trump has said that birthright citizenship was primarily intended for the children of slaves and not for the whole world to "come in and pile" into US.

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Birthright Citizenship Was For Slaves' Children, Not for World to 'Pile' into US: Trump's Big Remark Amid Raging Debate
Birthright Citizenship Was For Slaves' Children, Not for World to 'Pile' into US: Trump's Big Remark Amid Raging Debate | Image: AP

Washington: US President Donald Trump made a significant remark on birthright citizenship, stating that it was primarily intended for the children of slaves and not for the entire world to "come in and pile" into the US.

Right after assuming office, Trump issued an executive order against birthright citizenship, which was struck down by a federal court in Seattle the following day.

Trump has stated that he would appeal the ruling. On Thursday, he expressed confidence that the Supreme Court would rule in his favor.

'Not for the Whole World to Come'

“Birthright citizenship was, if you look back when this was passed and enacted, it was meant for the children of slaves. This was not meant for the whole world to come in and pile into the United States of America,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office of the White House.

“Everybody coming in, and totally unqualified people with perhaps unqualified children. This wasn’t meant for that,” he said.

Asserting that birthright citizenship was meant for the children of slaves, he described it as a "very good and noble" thing to do.

"I'm in favor of that 100 percent. But it wasn’t meant for the entire world to occupy the United States,” Trump said.

“I just think that we’ll end up winning that in the Supreme Court. I think we’re going to win that case. I look forward to winning it.” "At that level, we’re the only country in the world that does this," he added.

Earlier, a group of Republican Senators introduced a bill in the US Senate to restrict birthright citizenship to the children of illegal immigrants and non-immigrants on temporary visas.

According to Senators Lindsey Graham, Ted Cruz, and Katie Britt, who introduced the bill, the exploitation of birthright citizenship is a major pull factor for illegal immigration and a vulnerability for national security.

The US is one of only 33 countries in the world with no restrictions on birthright citizenship, they noted. The Center for Immigration Studies estimates that in 2023, there were between 225,000 and 250,000 births to illegal immigrants, amounting to nearly seven percent of all births in the US.

What is the Birthright Citizenship Act?

The Birthright Citizenship Act of 2025 specifies who can receive citizenship by virtue of their birth in the United States, including children born to at least one parent who is either a US citizen or national, a lawful permanent resident, or an alien performing active service in the armed forces.

This bill only applies to children born after the date of enactment.

(With PTI inputs)

Updated 09:44 IST, January 31st 2025