Ending birthright citizenship has been on President Donald Trump’s wish list for years, and he’s reportedly expected to issue an executive order doing so in the earliest stages of his presidency. But ending it may not be as easy as he’s promised.

Under a longstanding interpretation of the Constitution and federal law, children born in the US automatically become American citizens, even if their parents are undocumented. Trump, however, has previously promised that, “On day one of my new term in office, I will sign an executive order making clear to federal agencies that under the correct interpretation of the law, going forward, the children of illegal immigrants will not receive automatic US citizenship.”

It’s not clear exactly what the executive order may specifically entail. But in 2023, Trump suggested that he would mandate that at least one parent must be a US citizen or green card holder for their child to qualify for automatic citizenship. Federal agencies would be directed to deny passports, Social Security numbers, and public benefits to children with two undocumented parents.

The executive order would almost certainly be........

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