WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Just hours into his presidency, Donald Trump signed a host of executive orders aimed at immigration. One of the more controversial is a fundamental change to the interpretation of birthright citizenship, a right enshrined in the 14th Amendment.
The executive order looks to end birthright citizenship— the idea that if you’re born on US soil, you’re a citizen. If it’s made into law, beginning on Feb. 19 the order would stop the granting of automatic citizenship for children born in the U.S. to mothers who are not legally in the country, unless their father was a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.
WPTV Reporter Michael Hoffman spoke with Florida GOP Chair Evan Power, and he says what Trump wants, is the interpretation that the founding fathers intended.
“Promises made, promises kept from Donald Trump,” said Power “I think we're putting it back right. I think if you want to come to America, you should come here legally, and then people born here, of legal residents, obviously have that right.”
WATCH: How easy is it for Trump to end birthright citizenship?
The 700-word executive order has pushed around 20 states to take action by suing President Trump.
“If you look at the big issues that faced Floridians in the election, immigration was their number one issue, and the President committed to delivering on day one, which he has done, and that's why people voted for him by a landslide in the November election,” said Power. “The American people, want these changes, and the further the Democrats fight these changes, the more irrelevant they become long term.”
Former Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg told WPTV the action of changing the way we look at the Constitution cannot be done by the president alone, as constitutional changes can only be made by Congress and still need to be ratified by the states.
“Do you think to some extent they're goading people to take these to the courts, to kind of kick it up to the Supreme Court?” Hoffman asked Aronberg.
“Absolutely, that is Trump's endgame,” said Aronberg. “He can't do this unilaterally. He needs the courts to support him, and his ace in the hole is the US Supreme Court.”
Aronberg says even if it does go to the highest court, he’s confident it won’t change.
“I don't think the US Supreme Court is going to overturn 157 years of precedent,” said Aronberg. “What Trump is trying to do is unprecedented, and he'll have to get the Supreme Court to reverse 157 years of precedent to do so."
Any children who have their birthright citizenship would not, according to the executive order, lose their citizenship. It would be children born after Feb. 19.
