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October 31, 2018

Trump Birthright Citizenship Plan Blasted as "Unconstitutional"
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Democratic leaders, civil rights groups and legal experts are blasting
President Trump for saying he'll sign an executive order ending the
constitutionally protected birthright citizenship for children of
noncitizens born on U.S. soil. Trump's statements came with the midterms
just one week away and amid an onslaught of anti-immigrant rhetoric from
the president. In the interview with reporters from the new series
"Axios on HBO," Trump falsely claims that the U.S. is the only country
with birthright laws. In fact, at least 30 other countries have similar
laws, including most nations in North and South America. The ACLU
tweeted Tuesday, "This is a blatantly unconstitutional attempt to fan
the flames of anti-immigrant hatred in the days ahead of the midterms.
The 14th Amendment's citizenship guarantee is clear. You can't erase the
Constitution with an executive order, @real Donald Trump." On Tuesday,
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said he would introduce a bill to
support Trump's citizenship plan. However, other Republicans have
criticized the proposal. This is House Speaker Paul Ryan speaking to
Kentucky radio station WVLK.

Speaker Paul Ryan: "You obviously cannot do that. You cannot end
birthright citizenship with an executive order. As a conservative, I'm a
believer in following the plain text of the Constitution. And I think,
in this case, the 14th Amendment is pretty clear."

We'll have more on Trump's attempts to circumvent the 14th Amendment's
birthright citizenship clause after headlines with historian and author
Martha Jones.


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