US President Donald Trump has said that birthright citizenship was primarily intended for the babies of slaves and not a way for "rich" immigrants to make their "whole family US citizens", NDTV reports.
The remarks came days after the US Supreme Court agreed to review the long-simmering controversy over birthright citizenship.
Talking to the American news outlet Politico, Trump defended his executive order against birthright citizenship and said it would be "devastating" if his administration loses the case in the Supreme Court.
"...The case is very interesting because that case was meant for the babies of slaves. And if you look at the dates on the case, it was exactly having to do with the Civil War. That case was not meant for some rich person coming from another country, dropping ... putting a foot in our country, and all of a sudden their whole family becomes, you know, United States citizens," Trump said.
"That case is all about slaves, the babies of slaves, and it was a good reason for doing it. And that's all it was about, and people now are understanding it. It's been explained to 'em. And I think the court understands it, too. That would be a devastating decision if we lose that case," he added.
Trump stressed that America cannot afford to house tens of millions of people who came in through birthright citizenship.
"When that happened, that was meant for the ... the babies of slaves, and if you look at the exact dates that it was passed, it all had to do with the Civil War and the ending of the Civil War. It's that little period of time, and people now are starting to understand that," he said.
In January 2025, Trump issued an executive order removing the recognition of citizenship for the US-born children of both immigrants here illegally and visitors here only temporarily. The new rule is not retroactive. This change in long-standing US policy sparked a wave of litigation, culminating in several federal courts temporarily blocking the order.
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