Graham Follows Trump's Lead, Plans To Introduce Legislation Ending Birthright Citizenship
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said Tuesday that he will introduce legislation to end the practice of allowing the children of illegal immigrants to become American citizens if they are born in the United States.
Graham said he is acting to follow up on comments made by President Donald Trump, who told Axios on Monday that he plans to issue an executive order ending what’s known as birthright citizenship.
“We’re the only country in the world where a person comes in and has a baby, and the baby is essentially a citizen of the United States… with all of those benefits,” Trump said during the interview. “It’s ridiculous. It’s ridiculous. And it has to end.”
“Finally, a president willing to take on this absurd policy of birthright citizenship,” Graham tweeted.
“I will be introducing legislation to deal with the issue of birthright citizenship for children of illegal immigrants — in a prospective manner — as I have always contended it has become a magnet for illegal immigration in modern times,” Graham wrote, adding, “The United States is one of two developed countries in the world who grant citizenship based on location of birth. This policy is a magnet for illegal immigration, out of the mainstream of the developed world, and needs to come to an end.”
Finally, a president willing to take on this absurd policy of birthright citizenship. https://t.co/kCa0ko7P76
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) October 30, 2018
I will be introducing legislation to deal with the issue of birthright citizenship for children of illegal immigrants — in a prospective manner — as I have always contended it has become a magnet for illegal immigration in modern times.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) October 30, 2018
Graham said he is for reform of America’s immigration laws.
“I’ve always supported comprehensive immigration reform – and at the same time – the elimination of birthright citizenship,” he tweeted.
Trump’s comments brought a response from critics who said the 14th Amendment ensures that anyone born on American soil is considered a citizen.
Graham said it is time to see if that assumption stands a judicial test.
“The Supreme Court has never ruled on the issue of whether birthright citizenship applies to children born of illegal immigrants in the United States,” he tweeted. “This is a case of ‘first impression’ and I support President @realDonaldTrump‘s efforts to have the Court review this matter.”
This is not the first time Graham has said he supports ending birthright citizenship. During a 2010 interview with former Fox News host Greta Van Susteren, he said he wanted a constitutional amendment to end the practice.
“I may introduce a constitutional amendment that changes the rules if you have a child here,” Graham said. “Birthright citizenship I think is a mistake … We should change our Constitution and say if you come here illegally and you have a child, that child’s automatically not a citizen.”
In that interview, Graham offered a no-holds-barred assessment of why he wanted a change.
“People come here to have babies,” he said. “They come here to drop a child. It’s called ‘drop and leave.’ To have a child in America, they cross the border, they go to the emergency room, have a child, and that child’s automatically an American citizen. That shouldn’t be the case. That attracts people here for all the wrong reasons.”
Graham said then that he didn’t want the immigration issue to mushroom.
“I’m a practical guy, but when you go forward, I don’t want 20 million more 20 years from now,” he said.
“I want to be fair. I want to be humane. We need immigration policy, but it should be on our terms, not someone else’s. I don’t know how to fix it all. But I do know what makes people mad, that 12 million people came here, and there seems to be no system to deal with stopping 20 million 20 years from now.”
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