Originally published at National Catholic Register
President-elect Donald Trump has reaffirmed his commitment to ending birthright citizenship — and it’s something he’d like to accomplish on Day One.
“We’re going to have to get it changed,” he recently said on NBC’s Meet the Press. “We’ll maybe have to go back to the people. But we have to end it. … Yes, we’re going to end that because it’s ridiculous.”
For Trump and other prominent Republicans, eliminating automatic citizenship for individuals born within U.S. territory irrespective of the legal status of their parents is a crucial component of solving the illegal immigration crisis and securing the southern border. Proponents of repeal believe it motivates migrants to cross illegally and give birth to “anchor babies” so that they become unremovable. Opponents, however, including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), warn of the threats to the human dignity of the innocent children involved. In particular, opponents argue that ending birthright citizenship will create an underclass of “stateless” children. Many legal experts are doubtful that ending the attempt will succeed, but the conservative makeup of the Supreme Court makes repeal a possibility, however remote.
In a statement to the Register, Chieko Noguchi, spokeswoman for the bishops’
