Millions of people owe their rights as Americans to being born in the U.S., thanks to a principle known as birthright citizenship. President Donald Trump, who has made a priority of making it harder for foreigners to enter the country, wants to make it harder for pregnant women to travel to the U.S. for the primary purpose of giving birth to an American citizen.
The 14th amendment to the U.S. Constitution, adopted in 1868 and intended to clarify the post-Civil War status of former slaves, begins, “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.” That has been taken to mean that being born on U.S. soil -- even to parents who are just passing through -- guarantees American citizenship to the child.
