Birthright Citizenship is Settled
Both the text and history of the 14th Amendment support Jus Soli citizenship
Trump made waves - as he does - by declaring that on his ‘first day in office’ he would end birthright citizenship. The divide between jus soli (based on the soil - citizenship by birth on the land of a country) and jus sanguinis (based on blood - citizenship by biological descent from a citizen) is an old one - in general, the former is common in the Americas, while the latter prevails in most of the rest of the world. But in the United States, the issue has been decided by a clear reading of the 14th Amendment, and defended by our liberal tradition. Jus soli is the best path forward for a liberal state and, despite what Donald Trump might tell you, is the only path forward under the US Constitution.
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