GOP 2024 Candidates Divided on Ending Birthright Citizenship

Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) on Friday questioned the constitutionality of fellow GOP presidential candidates’ pledges to restrict birthright citizenship — the practice of granting citizenship to all children born in the U.S.

The Details: Former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the two GOP front-runners, have pledged to end birthright citizenship to discourage unauthorized migration to the U.S. However, Scott said such a change would require an act of Congress, adding, “The president cannot do that by himself or herself outright.” Other GOP candidates, like Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, have directly opposed the proposal. In late July, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) introduced a bill aiming to prevent the “privilege” of citizenship from being “co-opted by illegal aliens.” 

For Context: Birthright citizenship was guaranteed in 1866 by the 14th Amendment, and it is also protected by federal law. While most countries in the Americas practice birthright citizenship, most other countries only grant citizenship to children with at least one parent who is a citizen. 

How the Media Covered It: Coverage echoed past partisan divides on using terms like “undocumented” or “illegal” immigrants. While Republicans were quoted frequently, news articles generally did not discuss Democrats’ perspectives. Some left-rated outlets published opinions and analyses criticizing plans to end birthright citizenship; a Mother Jones (Left bias) writer said ending birthright citizenship “would create irreparable damage and undermine democracy.”