Trump signs executive order ending citizenship rights and other immigration measures

Among the executive orders President Donald Trump signed in the Oval Office on Inauguration Day was one that ended the citizen’s birthright.

However, such an approach would face significant legal obstacles.

Under the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, anyone born within the United States is a United States citizen.

When a reporter pointed out that the order would likely be challenged, Trump said, “You might be right. »

“We have good reasons,” he added.

MORE: Trump plans executive actions on economy, immigration and elimination of federal DEI

Late Monday night, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit challenging the executive order.

“Denying citizenship to children born in the United States is not only unconstitutional, but it is also a reckless and callous rejection of American values,” ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero said in a statement . “Natural citizenship is part of what makes the United States the strong and vibrant nation that it is. This order seeks to repeat one of the most serious mistakes in American history, by creating an underclass continued by people born in the United States being denied their full rights as Americans, we will not let this attack on newborns and future generations of Americans go unanswered. Trump administration is so blatant that we are convinced that we will win in the end.

In the filing, the groups said: “For families across America today, birthright citizenship represents the promise that their children will be able to realize their full potential as Americans. This means that children born here can dream of becoming doctors, lawyers, teachers, entrepreneurs or even president dreams that would be excluded if their citizenship was taken away due to their parents’ status. »

In a call with reporters Monday morning, new White House officials outlined a series of executive orders and other actions the new Trump administration plans to take regarding the border and immigration.

“We will protect the American people from invasion,” one of the new officials said. “It’s about national security. It’s about public safety. And it’s about the victims of some of the most violent and abusive criminals we’ve seen come into our country in our lifetimes. And It ends today.”

Among the executive actions outlined, the new officials said Trump would declare a national emergency at the border and clarify the military’s role in “protecting the territorial integrity of the United States.”

The orders would reinstate the “Remain in Mexico” policy, end the practice of “catch and release” and complete construction of the southern border wall, officials said.

They would designate drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, end the ability of migrants stuck between ports of entry to seek asylum and suspend refugee resettlement for at least four months, they said.

The officials also said Trump would order “enhanced monitoring and control” of migrants and direct agencies to provide recommendations for suspending entry of migrants from “countries of particular concern.”

It would also create Homeland Security task forces to target undocumented gang members and criminals, and reinstate the death penalty when a law enforcement officer is murdered by an undocumented immigrant, officials said. responsible.

Although one of the new officials said the call was an “overview” of “actions to take today,” it was not clear from the call that all orders would be given Monday. Additionally, many of these projects would require help from international partners like Mexico and would almost certainly trigger legal battles.

Take a look at the latest stories and videos from President Donald Trump’s Inauguration Day. here.