Photo: Matt Rourke/AP
On his first day in office, US President Donald Trump signed a decree changing the procedure for granting citizenship to children born in the country. This was reported by CNN on 21 January.
The executive order prohibits federal agencies from issuing documents granting US citizen status to children whose parents are in the country illegally or temporarily. The new rules will take effect 30 days after the document is signed and will apply only to children born after the order comes into force.
The decision is based on the interpretation of the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution, which defines the conditions for citizenship. Trump and his administration interpret the “jurisdiction” clause to mean that children of illegal migrants or temporary residents do not fall under it, and therefore cannot automatically become citizens.
Hardliners support the initiative, arguing that such children have no right to citizenship. Critics of the decree, on the other hand, argue that it contradicts the spirit of the 14th Amendment, which is designed to guarantee equal rights to all those born in the United States.
The decision is likely to spark widespread legal controversy and will be subject to review by the Supreme Court.
