Florida GOP Representative Matt Gaetz introduced legislation to end birthright citizenship for immigrants who come to the US.
The End Birthright Citizenship Fraud Act of 2023 legislation introduced by Matt Gaetz would amend the federal Immigration and Nationality Act.
“Birthright citizenship has been grossly and blatantly misapplied for decades, recently becoming a loophole for illegal aliens to fraudulently abuse our immigration system,” Gaetz said.
“My legislation recognizes that American citizenship is a privilege – not an automatic right to be co-opted by illegal aliens.”
As Just The News noted, Conservatives scholars argue that the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment doesn’t allow citizenship to children of immigrants if they are born in the U.S., while liberal scholars argue it does.
The new legislation was introduced on Wednesday before Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ questioning in front of the House Judiciary Committee.
As The Hill reported:
The 14th Amendment grants citizenship to all “born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof.”
The amendment was passed in 1866 shortly after the Civil War in to ensure citizenship and equal rights for formerly enslaved people.
The 1898 Supreme Court case United States v. Wong Kim Ark upheld the idea the 14th Amendment applies to children regardless of their parents’ immigration status.
Birthright citizenship has become a favored target of hard-line conservatives.
President Trump, who toyed with moving against it during his time in office, has pledged to end it on his first day in office if he returns to the White House, though experts say a president would lack that legal authority on their own.
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