Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) announced on Tuesday that he plans to introduce legislation ending birthright citizenship for children born to illegal immigrants on American soil, citing it as a “magnet for illegal immigration.”
President Donald J. Trump announced on Tuesday that he plans to draft an executive order to end birthright citizenship for children of illegal immigrants born in America.
Trump told Axios’ Jonathan Swan:
But now they’re saying I can do it with just an executive order. Now, how ridiculous–we are the only country in the world where a person comes in, has a baby, and the baby is essentially a citizen of the United States for 85 years with all of those benefits? It’s ridiculous. It’s ridiculous–and it has to end.
Sen. Graham cheered Trump’s move against birthright citizenship, citing it as a significant “magnet” for illegal immigration.
“Finally, a president willing to take on this absurd policy of birthright citizenship,” Graham said in a statement. “I’ve always supported comprehensive immigration reform – and at the same time – the elimination of birthright citizenship.”
Graham continued explaining that birthright citizenship is a foreign concept in most modern countries.
The South Carolina Republican said, “The United States is one of two developed countries in the world who grant citizenship based on location of birth. This policy is a magnet for illegal immigration, out of the mainstream of the developed world, and needs to come to an end.”
Eliminating birthright citizenship would prevent children born of illegal aliens would not receive citizenship status and would likely deter the practice of foreigners having “anchor babies” where immigrants plan to give birth to children on American soil to obtain citizenship for their children.
The anchor baby population has skyrocketed in recent years. One Congressional Budget Office (CBO) study found that the anchor baby population per year exceeds the number of American citizens births from American citizens.
To enshrine Trump’s executive order into law, Graham said that he plans to draft legislation to codify the president’s changes to birthright citizenship.
Graham said, “In addition, I plan to introduce legislation along the same lines as the proposed executive order from President Trump.”
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