Birthright Citizenship

"All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside."

- U.S. Constitution, 14th Amendment

Advocates of maintaining this citizenship policy argue that the plain language of the. . .14th Amendment protects automatic birthright citizenship for all children born to illegal and temporary aliens. However, several legal scholars and political scientists who have delved into the history of the 14th Amendment have concluded that “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” has no plain meaning and that the executive branch’s current, broad application of the Citizenship Clause may not be warranted. The overwhelming majority of the world’s countries do not offer automatic citizenship. . .Over the past few decades, many countries that once did so. . .have repealed those policies. Other countries are considering changes.

- Jon Feere, Legal Policy Analyst at CIS