Trump announces his first measure: ending citizenship for children of illegal immigrants

President-elect Donald Trump announced that, when he takes office, he will sign an executive order to end automatic citizenship for children of illegal immigrants who are born inside U.S. territory.

"Joe Biden has launched an illegal foreign invasion of our country, allowing a record number of illegal aliens to storm across our borders. From all over the world, they came. Under Biden's current policies, even though these millions of illegal border crossers have entered the country unlawfully, all of their future children will become automatic U.S. citizens," Trump said in a more than three-minute video ad.

"This policy is a reward for breaking the laws of the United States and is obviously a magnet helping draw the flood of illegals across our borders. They come by the millions and millions and millions," the president-elect continued before vowing to end the measure.

There has long been a fierce debate in the United States over the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution.

As historically interpreted, this clause stipulates that, with some exceptions, persons born in the United States are automatically citizens, regardless of their parents' national origin. laws to rewrite the Amendment according to what they consider to be an incorrect interpretation of the text.

Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, said on the campaign trail that they agree with the interpretation of those who want to restructure the Amendment.

"As part of my plan to secure the border on day one of my new term in office, I will sign an executive order making clear to federal agencies that under the correct interpretation of the law going forward, the future children of illegal aliens will not receive automatic U.S. citizenship," Trump said in his announcement.

"It's things like this that bring millions of people to our country and they enter our country illegally. My policy will choke off a major incentive for continued illegal immigration, deter more migrants from coming, and encourage many of the aliens Joe Biden has unlawfully let into our country to go back to their home countries."

Trump also said his measure will put an end to the "unfair practice" of birth tourism.

"Hundreds of thousands of people from all over the planet squat in hotels for their last few weeks of pregnancy to illegitimately and illegally obtain U.S. citizenship for the child, often to later exploit chain migration to jump the line and get green cards for themselves and their family members. It's a practice that's so horrible and so egregious, but we let it go forward. At least one parent will have to be a citizen or a legal resident in order to qualify. We will secure our borders and we will restore sovereignty starting on day one," he said.

Despite the president-elect's promise, experts agree that it is nearly impossible to change a constitutional text or pass a law that would, in essence, change the meaning of the 14th Amendment.

In particular, Trump's order will most likely be immediately challenged in court.