In a significant and contentious statement, Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has expressed his intent to work towards ending birthright citizenship in the United States if he were to become President. This proposal mirrors a similar suggestion made by former President Donald Trump during his 2015 presidential campaign.
During an interview with Univision host Ilia Calderón, Ramaswamy was questioned about the legal basis for expelling undocumented immigrants and their American-born children from the country. In response, he aligned himself with fellow candidates who support the militarization of the southern border, the defunding of “sanctuary cities,” and the cessation of foreign aid to Mexico and Central America. However, he stated his intention to take this stance further by advocating for the termination of birthright citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants in the United States.
Ramaswamy pointed to the 14th Amendment, which guarantees birthright citizenship to most individuals born in the United States, stating that “all persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the laws and jurisdiction thereof, are citizens.” He argued that the children of undocumented immigrants born in the United States should not be granted citizenship due to their parents’ violation of immigration laws.
As a father of two sons, Ramaswamy expressed the difficulty of teaching his children to follow the law when he believes that the government itself fails to uphold its own laws.
Notably, the concept of birthright citizenship has been a recurring point of discussion among Republican candidates during election campaigns. In 2015, Donald Trump proposed that Congress should end birthright citizenship for children born to undocumented immigrants in the United States.
In 2018, President Trump announced his intention to issue an executive order that would terminate the automatic granting of citizenship to individuals born in the country to noncitizen parents. However, this order did not come to fruition.
Ramaswamy’s stance on birthright citizenship reflects a broader debate in American politics over immigration policy and the rights of individuals born within the country to undocumented parents. This issue continues to be a polarizing topic with differing views on its legal and ethical implications.
