McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) — Ending birthright citizenship would increase the U.S. population of undocumented immigrants, not reduce it, according to a new study released Tuesday.
The study by the Migration Policy Institute and Penn State University’s Population Research Institute found that by ending birthright citizenship for U.S.-born children with parents who are undocumented, or temporary visa holders would increased the unauthorized population by 2.7 million by 2045, and by 5.4 million by 2075.
This is considering that, on average, each year about a quarter million — 255,000 children — are born on U.S. soil. If birthright citizenship is ended as the Trump administration wants, the study expects those numbers would continue and then that would add to the number of those illegally in the United States.
The report comes as the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to take up a case challenging birthright citizenship on Thursday.
In 2023, there were an estimated 13.7 million undocumented people living in the United States, MPI says.
But by refusing citizenship to those born here to undocumented immigrants “would create a self-perpetuating, multi-generational underclass,” the study says.
“This creation of a class of U.S.-born residents deprived of the rights that citizenship conveys to their neighbors, classmates and work colleagues could sow the seeds for significant disruption to economic mobility and social cohesion in the years and decades ahead,” according to the report.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office of his second term to end the grant of birthright citizenship to children born to certain noncitizens.
The administration contends that the 14th Amendment does not extend to immigrants who are in the country illegally or even to immigrants whose presence is lawful but temporary, such as university students or those on work visas.
Opponents challenge this would be a violation of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”
14th Amendment
Economic mobility for families deemed undocumented, even if persons were born on U.S. soil, would be impacted by a change in birthright citizenship rules, the study found.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments in a case involving birthright citizenship. The primary issue before the high court is whether lower-court judges can issue what are known as universal injunctions to block an order nationwide.
Federal judges in Washington state, Massachusetts and Maryland issued orders blocking Trump’s January executive order regarding birthright citizenship.
Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.
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