President Trump said Wednesday that he is "seriously" considering issuing an executive order to end birthright citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump argued that it is "frankly ridiculous" that the U.S. affords citizenship to babies born to illegal immigrants who have just entered the country.
"We're looking at that very seriously, birthright citizenship, where you have a baby on our land, you walk over the border, have a baby — congratulations, the baby is now a U.S. citizen," he said.
The Wednesday comments represent the second instance in which Trump has publicly criticized birthright citizenship, particularly as it relates to recent illegal immigrants. Trump told Axios last year that he planned to issue an executive order curtailing birthright citizenship, but never followed through.
"We’re the only countryin the world where a person comes in and has a baby, and the baby is essentially a citizen of the United States … with all of those benefits," Trump continued. "It’s ridiculous. It’s ridiculous. And it has to end," Trump told Axios in October 2018.
Any attempt to restrict birthright citizenship through an executive order would likely face stiff legal challenges and may ultimately require a Constitutional amendment — a point Trump disputed during the 2018 Axios interview.
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