On the first day of Donald Trump's return as the president of the United States, he signed an executive order revoking American birthright citizenship for immigrants. This means being born in the US does not automatically make one a US citizen. Many were troubled by this order, and rightly so. Many have become American citizens simply because they were born there. Some clarification is therefore needed regarding this executive order. This is my understanding.
Those who will be affected by the new order are those who will be born 30 days after the order is signed. That is 30 days from January 20, 2025. The order states that a child born to a mother, who is unlawfully or temporarily (but legally) in the US, and does not have a father, who is a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the country, will not be granted birthright citizenship. Those parents still waiting for a green card are not considered US citizens therefore the child is covered by the order. One parent must either be an official US citizen, have a green card, or be a US military member.
This order affects students, tourists, temporary workers, and visitors of relatives. If you give birth there, the baby is no longer automatically an American. Even if you have papers in the works but do not yet have a green card, you are not considered an American citizen. Naturally, the order includes those who are in the US illegally, which was Trump's target during the campaign. He also has an order regarding the cessation of all immigrant applications entering through the southern border. If you plan to give birth in the US as a tourist, your child will no longer be automatically a US citizen.
Many have countered saying the order goes against the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution. Twenty-two states have already filed a lawsuit to block this order. The battle will surely reach the Supreme Court of which the majority of justices are known Trump allies. But the pushback states no one has the power to violate the Constitution. Trump will have to file an amendment which takes years and a vote of the majority of lawmakers. Trump signed several executive orders on his first day as president. These include America's withdrawal from the World Health Organization, withdrawal from the Paris Agreement related to climate change, rescinding lowering prescription drug costs, rescinding a law strengthening Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare, an order stating there are only two genders, rescinding laws providing equality for all races in the federal workforce, and many more.
That's just his first day.