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New Delhi: US President Donald Trump has asserted that the 14th Amendment's provision for birthright citizenship was meant for the children of slaves, rather than serving as a route for "rich" immigrants to secure American nationality for their entire families. These provocative comments surfaced just days after the US's highest judicial body agreed to review the legal and political controversy surrounding birthright citizenship.
Speaking to the American political news outlet Politico, Trump defended his administration's executive order targeting birthright citizenship. He warned that an adverse ruling from the Supreme Court would be "devastating" for the country.
"The case is very interesting because that case was meant for the babies of slaves. And if you look at the dates on the case, it was exactly having to do with the Civil War. That case was not meant for some rich person coming from another country, dropping ... putting a foot in our country, and all of a sudden their whole family becomes, you know, United States citizens," Trump said.
He reiterated his firm belief that the amendment's original intent was singular and tied directly to the aftermath of the Civil War. "That case is all about slaves, the babies of slaves, and it was a good reason for doing it. And that's all it was about, and people now are understanding it. It's been explained to 'em. And I think the court understands it, too. That would be a devastating decision if we lose that case," he added, emphasising the gravity of the upcoming judicial review.
President Trump highlighted his contention by stressing that the United States cannot afford to accommodate "tens of millions" of individuals whose citizenship stems from what he views as an outdated or misapplied interpretation of the law. He once again pointed to the Civil War era, arguing, "When that happened, that was meant for the... the babies of slaves, and if you look at the exact dates that it was passed, it all had to do with the Civil War and the ending of the Civil War. It's that little period of time, and people now are starting to understand that."
