Donald Trump Urges US Congress to Scrap Birthright Citizenship Today

U.S. President Donald Trump called on Congress on June 30, 2026, to initiate legislation to end birthright citizenship, describing the current policy as "expensive and unfair" in a post on the social media platform X. The move follows a Supreme Court ruling regarding citizenship, which Trump indicated could be addressed through new legislative action.

The president’s statement targets the legal principle that grants citizenship to individuals born on U.S. soil, regardless of the citizenship status of their parents. This policy is rooted in the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which states that all persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof are citizens of the United States.

Trump’s push for congressional action marks a shift toward a legislative approach after previous attempts to limit birthright citizenship via executive order faced legal challenges. According to reports from NDTV, the president noted that the administration "can bring in legislation" to achieve this goal following the Supreme Court’s recent judicial guidance on the matter.

Why is the president targeting birthright citizenship?

President Trump argues that the current system creates an incentive for non-citizens to enter the U.S. to secure citizenship for their children. In his June 30 post, he explicitly labeled the practice "expensive and unfair," suggesting that the associated costs and legal statuses are a burden on the state.

This position aligns with long-standing claims by the president that birthright citizenship encourages “birth tourism,” where foreign nationals travel to the U.S. specifically to give birth so their children can obtain U.S. passports and benefits.

How does this differ from previous executive orders?

The current call for legislation differs from prior attempts to use executive power to ban birthright citizenship. Past efforts to implement such a ban through executive orders were frequently blocked by lower courts, which ruled that a president cannot unilaterally override the 14th Amendment.

By directing Congress to work on legislation, the president is seeking a statutory change. However, legal scholars have historically noted that because birthright citizenship is enshrined in the Constitution, a simple act of Congress may be insufficient. A constitutional amendment would typically be required to fundamentally alter the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of citizenship by birth.

What is the role of the Supreme Court in this development?

The timing of the president’s request is tied to a ruling from the Supreme Court. While the specific details of the ruling were not fully detailed in the initial announcement, Trump cited the court’s decision as a catalyst for the legislative push. He stated that the ruling provided a window or a legal basis to pursue the end of the practice through the legislative branch.

The Supreme Court’s interpretation of the “jurisdiction” clause of the 14th Amendment remains the central legal battleground. If the court has signaled that the definition of being “subject to the jurisdiction” of the U.S. is narrower than previously interpreted, it could provide the legal opening the administration is seeking.

What happens next for birthright citizenship legislation?

The proposal now moves to the U.S. Congress. For any such bill to become law, it must pass both the House of Representatives and the Senate and be signed by the president. Given the constitutional nature of the issue, any law passed by Congress would likely be immediately challenged in court.

Opponents of the ban argue that ending birthright citizenship would create a permanent class of stateless people within the U.S. and violate fundamental human rights and constitutional law. The administration, conversely, maintains that the move is necessary for national security and fiscal responsibility.