House Speaker Paul Ryan on Tuesday threw cold water on President Trump's plan to unilaterally end the constitutional right to citizenship for babies born in the States to non-citizens.
Revoking birthright citizenship in the US could spark a court fight over the president's unilateral ability to change the Constitution's 14th Amendment, which guarantees that right for children born in the U.S.
In an interview with Axios, Trump said he intends to restrict birthright citizenship despite those who argue the 14th Amendment guarantees citizenship to all babies born in the United States. And it has to end.
Trump told the show "Axios on HBO" that he has discussed ending birthright citizenship with legal counsel and plans to move forward - which will nearly certainly bring on legal fights.
Sen. Graham cheered Trump's move against birthright citizenship, citing it as a significant "magnet" for illegal immigration.
President Donald Trump talking to "Axios on HBO" about ending birthright citizenship.
Trump dispatched more than 5,000 active-duty military troops to the southern border on Monday as a slow-moving human caravan of around 3,500 Central American migrants, including nursing mothers and children, trekked towards the usa border at least 1,000 miles away.
The president has no authority to overturn this section of the Constitution with an executive order. "It'll happen. with an executive order", he insisted. "Its ridiculous and it has to end".
"During congressional debates, both proponents and opponents of the citizenship clause agreed with this interpretation of the 14th Amendment", he added.
Trump did not say when he would sign the order, and some of his past promises to use executive action have gone unfulfilled.
Scalise also did not challenge Trump's lie that the United States is the only country with birthright citizenship; dozens of countries do, including Canada and Mexico.
Currently, Congress is controlled by the Republican Party but power often shifts at midterm elections meaning Trump could lose support of Congress which would severely limit what he could do in the last two years of his presidency. The US President has already intensified his pledge to take a hard line on immigration.
"When they are captured, we don't let them out", Trump said. The 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution was adopted way back on July 9, 1868.
In the final days before the November 6 midterms, Trump has emphasized immigration, as he seeks to counter Democratic enthusiasm.
Neither Graham nor Trump gave any details about the latest plan, and the White House did not respond to a request for comment. But it's dicey whether an executive order could simply change birthright citizenship, or whether an act of Congress could. "But, I'm a believer in the Constitution, I believe in interpreting the Constitution as it's written, and that means you can't do something like this via executive order".
