Trump Right: 14th Amendment Did Not Guarantee Birthright Citizenship
The 14th Amendment was actually designed to make citizens of the former slaves freed by the 13th Amendment in 1865, and thus guarantee that they would enjoy all the rights of American citizenship. The phrase “and subject to the jurisdiction thereof” has, of course, been ignored by those promoting the concept of open borders. Clearly, the framers of the 14th Amendment intended that only children “born subject to the jurisdiction thereof” that is, the jurisdiction of the United States, are considered natural-born citizens. This would, by the clear wording of the amendment, not include the children of illegal aliens or “birth tourists,” because they are still under the jurisdiction of foreign governments.
Senator Jacob Merritt Howard of Michigan, an author of the 14th Amendment, said during the discussions over the effects of the amendment, “This will not, of course, include persons born in the United...
