A viral Facebook post stirred online buzz, claiming that President-elect Donald Trump’s proposal to end birthright citizenship in the US, might hurt his youngest son, Barron Trump and he might end up losing his citizenship. However, the claim illogical for many reasons
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Ending birthright citizenship in the United States has long been a key part of President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda. However, his plan can mean serious trouble for his son, Barron.
Recently, a Facebook post stirred online buzz, claiming that Trump’s proposal to end birthright citizenship might hurt his youngest son, Barron Trump and he might end up losing his citizenship if his father’s plan goes ahead.
“He (Barron) was born 3 months before his mother became a US citizen which means he’s not a citizen and has to go,” the post’s text reads in part. “That’s according to Trump’s policies.”
The claim quickly gained traction, with different versions garnering hundreds of likes and shares on Threads. It was also widely reposted on platforms like TikTok and X, previously known as Twitter.
But is there any truth to this rumour? According to the USA Today, the claim is entirely false. Here are some reasons why.
A plan for future generations
Barron Trump, who is a US citizen, would remain unaffected as the proposal from his president-elect father would cover only future births. Additionally, it would not apply to children born in the country to at least one parent who already is a citizen or lawful permanent resident.
While it is true that, Melania was not a US citizen when Barron was born on March 20, 2006, in New York, his father Donald Trump was an American citizen by birth.
Melania, who was a Slovenian model, came to the US in 1996 for work and then married the real estate mogul Donald Trump in 2005. She, however, became an American citizen in 2006.
According to the Washington Post, Melania was a lawful permanent resident then and had received her green card in 2001 through the EB-1 program commonly known as the “Einstein visa”.
She was in fact, one of just five people from Slovenia to win the coveted visa that year. It is said that the visa is reserved for immigrants with “extraordinary ability” and “sustained national and international acclaim”.
Also read:
Melania won’t be a full-time First Lady if Trump wins. Here’s what this means
Trump’s Agenda 47 policy
The 14th Amendment has guaranteed US citizenship to anyone born within the country for over 150 years.
It clearly states: “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.”
However, Trump’s Agenda 47 policy platform argues that this clause has been “misinterpreted” to include children of illegal immigrants, leading to an increase in illegal border crossings and practices like “birth tourism.”
According to Trump’s interpretation, US citizenship should be granted only to those born in the country and “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States.
Trump earlier stated that on the first day of his new presidential term, he intends to address the issue of birthright citizenship through an executive order.
“As part of my plan to secure the border, on Day one of my new term in office, I will sign an executive order making clear to federal agencies that under the correct interpretation of the law, going forward, the future children of illegal aliens will not receive automatic US citizenship,” he declared.
The proposed executive order would also deny these children certain benefits, including passports, Social Security numbers, and taxpayer-funded welfare.
However, Trump clarified that the policy would not be applied retroactively. It would only impact children born after the executive order takes effect, and it would require at least one parent to be a US citizen or lawful permanent resident—a “green card” holder—for the child to be automatically granted citizenship.
Therefore, even if the proposal becomes law, it would not affect Barron Trump’s citizenship status, as both his parents fulfil the necessary criteria.
This election cycle, the 18-year-old Barron Trump has captured public attention, making his first appearance in his father’s campaign and also advised him on which podcasts could effectively help him engage a younger audience.
On election day, Melania shared a photo of Barron casting his first vote and captioned it: “Voted for the first time – for his dad.”
With input from agencies