Congressman Brian Babin (R-TX), Chairman of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee introduced The Birthright Citizenship Act to restore the 14th  Amendment to its original purpose and end the misuse of birthright citizenship. This legislation ensures that automatic citizenship is granted only to children born in the United States with at least one parent who meets one of the following criteria:

1. A citizen or national of the United States
2. A lawful permanent resident whose residence is in the United States; or
3. A lawful immigrant performing active service in the United States Armed Forces.

The introduction of this bill aligns with President Donald Trump’s commitment to make birthright citizenship reform a top priority. Granting automatic citizenship to children of illegal immigrants is based on a flawed interpretation of the 14th Amendment, which was originally intended to ensure recently freed slaves gained full rights as Americans. It was never intended to confer citizenship to children of individuals who enter or remain in the United States illegally.

According to the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), one out of every ten births in the United States is to an illegal immigrant mother. Additionally, nearly 400,000 expectant mothers cross the border illegally each year intending to give birth in the United States. Once granted automatic citizenship, these children can initiate chain migration, opening pathways for extended family members to gain legal residency. This practice has also fueled a global birth tourism industry, which takes advantage of the current loophole in U.S. immigration laws.

“For a century after its enactment, Section 1 of the 14th Amendment was properly applied as written and intended to ensure all American citizens were afforded the sacred constitutional protections they deserve. While these important protections remain, in recent decades the misapplication of specific language in the amendment has led to implementation of the practice of birthright citizenship by which children born to foreign nationals – even those here illegally – are automatically granted United States citizenship. Birthright citizenship has long served as a powerful incentive for illegal immigration, and over time has become wrongly accepted as law or protected by our constitution. However, as birthright citizenship is justified due to a faulty legal application and has never been protected by the Supreme Court, ending the practice should not require a constitutional amendment," said Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX)

“President Trump has boldly committed to examine this issue closely, and I urge my colleagues in the House of Representatives to support the resolution recognizing the imprudence of birthright citizenship and seeking an end to this misguided policy that has fueled illegal immigration and weakened our national sovereignty.”

“Evidently, there is no American principle too sacred not to be surrendered in Republicans’ race to pander to the most radical, anti-immigrant corners of their party.  [This] is an appalling Republican effort to reverse one of our most fundamental constitutional guarantees: people born on American soil are Americans. House Republicans that refused to give the American people a vote on comprehensive immigration reform are giving [support] to one of the most loathsome, xenophobic proposals in recent memory. The Republicans’ unconscionable assault on birthright citizenship dishonors our history, betrays our future, and insults millions of proud first-generation American citizens. The American people deserve better than such a vile effort to narrow the definition of citizenship in our country.” -- Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)