President Donald Trump on Tuesday renewed his criticism of birthright citizenship, calling it "one of the many Great Scams of our time" in a post on Truth Social, while also indicating he plans to attend upcoming Supreme Court arguments related to the issue.
In the social media post, Trump argued that birthright citizenship was originally intended for "the babies of slaves," not for wealthy foreign nationals.
He wrote that it is being abused by individuals such as "Chinese Billionaires who have 56 kids, all of whom 'become' American Citizens."
Birthright citizenship is enshrined in the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1868, which states that "all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States."
The provision has long been interpreted by courts to apply broadly to nearly all individuals born on U.S. soil, regardless of their parents' immigration status.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Trump said he expects to attend Supreme Court arguments scheduled for Wednesday concerning his executive order aimed at restricting birthright citizenship.
"I'm going," Trump said, before adding more tentatively, "I think so. I do believe."
He also elaborated on his view of the policy's origins.
"Everything having to do with birthright citizenship, it was at the end of the Civil War," Trump said.
"The reason was it had to do with the babies of slaves and the protection of the babies of slaves. It didn't have to do with the protection of multimillionaires and billionaires wanting to have their children get an American citizenship."
Trump has repeatedly challenged the current interpretation of the 14th Amendment, arguing it encourages illegal immigration and so-called "birth tourism."
During his presidency, he sought to end birthright citizenship through executive action, a move that drew immediate legal challenges and skepticism from constitutional scholars.
Legal experts widely maintain that altering birthright citizenship would require either a constitutional amendment or a major shift in Supreme Court precedent.
The issue remains a key point of debate in U.S. immigration policy.
The Supreme Court is hearing arguments on whether Trump can deny citizenship to children born to parents who are in the United States illegally or temporarily.
The Wednesday case stems from an executive order Trump signed on the first day of his second term ending what's known as birthright citizenship, which guarantees citizenship to nearly everyone born on U.S. soil.
While the concept has been part of U.S. law for well over a century, it is relatively rare around the world.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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