Today's Article

A 2court battle is 3brewing over President Donald Trump's 4executive order 5declaring an end to birthright citizenship. But the CEO of the National Constitution Center says the Fourteenth 6Amendment is clear.

"Ever since the amendment was passed in the 19th century, that's been 7interpreted to mean that if you're born in the United States, you're automatically a citizen, whether or not your parents are here illegally."

The Fourteenth Amendment resulted from 8overturning the 1857 Dred Scott decision, which denied citizenship to Black people and 9upheldslavery in U.S. territories. 

The executive order keys in on one phrase in the amendment: subject to the 10jurisdiction 11thereof.

"They're suggesting that if you're here illegally or your parents are here illegally, they have 12allegiance to a 13foreign power, in other words, another government, and therefore that you're not a citizen."

Rosen says trying to end birthright citizenship isn't a simple task.

"Basically, the Supreme Court would have to change its mind and reject an interpretation of birthright citizenship that goes back more than 100 years."

The executive order aims to end birthright citizenship for children born after it was signed, but Hiroshi Matamora, immigration scholar at UCLA, says he worries about the thousands of people born before.

“That creates a 14precariousness that I think has a real potential to 15undermine societal 16cohesion for many people in this country.”