A fierce debate has erupted online surrounding the U.S. citizenship status of Donald Trump’s children following the former president’s renewed push to end birthright citizenship. In January, now in his second term, Trump signed an executive order aiming to repeal the constitutional right that automatically grants citizenship to nearly everyone born on U.S. soil—a policy established by the 14th Amendment.
The 14th Amendment guarantees citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States, regardless of their parents’ immigration status. Trump’s executive order, however, seeks to change that by requiring at least one parent to be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident for a child to qualify for citizenship at birth. This move primarily targets children of undocumented immigrants and temporary visa holders, part of Trump’s broader strategy to curb illegal immigration.
Although the birthright citizenship law remains unchanged as of July 4, a recent Supreme Court ruling on June 27 has limited the power of lower courts to block federal policies nationwide. This development could pave the way for Trump’s order to be enforced in states that aren’t actively challenging it, although significant legal obstacles still stand in the way of national implementation.
As the policy debate intensifies, social media users have scrutinized Trump’s own children. Critics highlight that his first wife, Ivana, and current wife, Melania, were not U.S. citizens when their children were born—sparking questions about the fairness and consistency of the proposed changes.
However, defenders point out that Donald Trump himself is a U.S. citizen and that both Ivana and Melania held green cards at the time of their children’s births. Under the proposed policy, this means his children would still qualify for citizenship, despite the ongoing controversy and widespread online speculation.