Former U.S. President Donald Trump has made a pledge to prevent Nigerians and other nationals who are undocumented immigrants from obtaining citizenship for their children born in the United States. If reelected in 2024, Trump vowed to take immediate action on his first day in office.

In a statement on Tuesday, Trump outlined his plan to secure the border and emphasized that, according to his interpretation of the law, the children of ‘illegal aliens’ would no longer receive automatic U.S. citizenship.

This announcement coincided with the 125th anniversary of the Supreme Court case, United States v. Wong Kim Ark, which established birthright citizenship as a constitutional right.

This is not the first time Trump has raised the idea. Back in 2018, during his presidency, he proposed a similar measure. The recent restatement of his proposal echoes the demands of immigration restrictionists and reflects his previous controversial comments, such as referring to African nations, including Nigeria, as “shithole” countries.

Trump’s stance on birthright citizenship has been met with both support and criticism, igniting a debate on immigration policies and the future of citizenship in the United States.

YNaija