What does it mean to be American?
According to the 14th Amendment, all people born or naturalized in the United States of America are American.
No politician has the right to decide who in the country is worthy of the “American” title.
For decades, minorities have struggled with embodying being “American.” Unfortunately, this was due to the fact that the expectations put in place by European colonists were meant to exclude minorities.
Today, President Trump believes that being an American citizen is decreasing in value. And who might be responsible for this loss of value? The answer to that question, according to the Trump Administration, is “illegal aliens.” The same people who work demanding jobs, pay taxes, and support the American economy are those who “bash the meaning of American citizenship.”
Thus, Trump proposed Executive Order #14156, which essentially creates a temporary law changing who is considered an American.
This Executive Order will work by no longer recognizing the citizenship of babies born in the United States with parents who are either in the United States temporarily or illegally. The Trump Administration plans to strip U.S.-born children of their birthright to citizenship by denying birth certificates and social security cards.
The Trump Administration feels strongly that babies born by two immigrants who are either in the United States temporarily or unlawfully are a threat to our Country. It’s ironic that the same people who impose such a threat according to the Trump administration work towards building a stronger future for the United States.
This Executive Order only legalizes discrimination and furthers this narrative that those in search of the “American Dream” have no right to American citizenship.
This issue directly affects the working class of this country, especially impacting children, who as we know, are the future of the United States. This Executive Order intends to “Review the 14th Amendment” which sparks the question, what other amendments is the Trump Administration going to change?
The Trump Administration wants to make clear that they can and will rewrite the Constitution. Who knows what other Amendments will be modified in the future?
Ways that we, the people, can protect birthright citizenship is by resisting the idea that the Constitution can be modified. We must use our voices and stand up for our right to vote, reminding the Trump Administration that constitutionally, they do not have the power to change the fundamentals of our country.
Without citizenship, there is no voting, and without voting, we have no say in the future of our country. We must come together now and prove to the Trump Administration that our voices count.
I urge you to call out the Trump Administration, remind them that what they are doing is unlawful and unconstitutional, protest or write emails, but more importantly remind your children that they are American, regardless of what anyone says.
Sourced from:
https://immigrationimpact.com/2025/02/07/breaking-down-trump-end-birthright-citizenship/
https://action.aclu.org/send-message/protect-birthright-citizenship
