President Donald Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, is calling for the United States Supreme Court to end the U.S. government’s birthright citizenship policy.
Homan discussed the impact of the policy during a panel discussion at the New College of Florida.
The border czar blasted the policy, warning that it serves as a “magnet for more illegal immigration.”
Homan made these remarks when he was asked about the effects of this policy and how the Supreme Court should address the issue.
The policy grants American citizenship to the children of illegal aliens, often referred to as “anchor babies,” who are born on U.S. soil.
However, Homan emphasized that the policy incentivizes illegal immigration.
“Well, I’ll say this: It’s an enticement, it’s a magnet for more illegal immigration,” Homan said.
He continued by explaining the connection between birthright citizenship and the increasing number of illegal alien families coming to the U.S.
Homan pointed to the Obama administration’s handling of illegal alien family units.
He noted that many of these families were initially allowed to stay temporarily but later faced orders for deportation after failing to establish legitimate “asylum” claims.
Homan specifically referred to the significant number of family units with children who were either already U.S. citizens or had U.S. citizen children on the way.
“We had hundreds of family units that were ordered removed by the judge,” he explained.
“The Obama administration approved this and ordered us to deport them.
“We went looking for them, and 44 percent of these family units, the mother has already had a U.S. citizen child or was pregnant with a U.S. citizen child.”
Despite the ongoing criticism of this policy, Homan argued that birthright citizenship remains a major driver of illegal immigration.
“Despite all the hate that’s out there and people attacking this, that is a driver of illegal immigration,” Homan said.
One of President Trump’s earliest executive actions was aimed at ending the policy of birthright citizenship.
The issue is now set to be reviewed by the Supreme Court, which will ultimately decide the fate of the policy.
Homan emphasized the importance of the Supreme Court making a clear decision on the matter.
“I think the Supreme Court finally needs to answer that question,” he said.
“Now, I’m not a lawyer, but I can read.
“I don’t think it’s clear that an illegal alien that has a child in this country is automatically a U.S. citizen.”
The Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI) has weighed in on the issue, filing an amicus brief in the case.
The IRLI argues that the 14th Amendment does not intend to grant birthright citizenship to children born in the U.S. to parents who are not legally allowed to reside in the country.
“This Court has held that only children born in the United States to parents who, at the time, were permitted to reside in the United States are citizens at birth by virtue of the Citizenship Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment,” the IRLI’s lawyers wrote in their brief to the Supreme Court.
According to estimates from the Center for Immigration Studies, approximately 225,000 to 250,000 children of illegal alien parents are born in the U.S. every year.
These “anchor babies” account for roughly seven percent of all U.S. births in 2023.
The upcoming Supreme Court decision will likely have significant implications for the future of birthright citizenship and how the U.S. addresses illegal immigration.
