Former President Donald Trump has renewed his campaign promise to end birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to undocumented parents. The proposal, which Trump suggests could be implemented via executive order, aims to curb what he terms 'birth tourism.' Under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, anyone born on American soil is automatically granted citizenship, a principle established by the 1898 Supreme Court case *United States v. Wong Kim Ark*.

Legal experts are largely skeptical that an executive order could override this constitutional provision. Most constitutional scholars argue that changing birthright citizenship would require a constitutional amendment, a process that necessitates a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress and ratification by three-fourths of the states. Previous attempts to challenge this legal standard have consistently failed in the courts, as the judiciary has historically upheld the interpretation that the 14th Amendment applies to all persons born within U.S. jurisdiction, regardless of their parents' immigration status.

While supporters of the proposal argue that the current policy incentivizes illegal immigration, critics contend that the executive branch lacks the authority to unilaterally redefine citizenship. The debate centers on the interpretation of the phrase 'subject to the jurisdiction thereof' in the 14th Amendment. Proponents of the restriction argue this excludes children of those not legally present in the country, while the prevailing legal consensus maintains that it applies to all individuals physically present on U.S. territory.