Once again, with his mistaken claim about his ability to end birthright citizenship with an executive order, President Donald Trump has waded into the miasma of xenophobia and racism aimed at excluding immigrants from the rights enjoyed by all Americans.
The 14th Amendment to the Constitution has been interpreted since its inception to allow the right of citizenship to all people born on U.S. soil. Now, spurred by misleading claims that illegal immigrants, most of them from Mexico and Central America, are sneaking into the country only to have babies who can “anchor” them to the United States, Trump wants to abolish the protections the 14th Amendment provides to those born here.