Trump Rolls Out Sweeping Immigration Reforms, To Declare Emergency At Border, End Birthright Citizenship

Donald Trump plans to issue a series of executive orders aimed at overhauling the United States' approach to citizenship and immigration, he announced on Monday, shortly after his inauguration.

The 47th president is set to take immediate action through presidential decrees designed to significantly reduce the influx of migrants entering the country, reported AFP.

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"First, I will declare a national emergency at our southern border," Trump declared.

"All illegal entry will immediately be halted, and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came.

"I will send troops to the southern border to repel the disastrous invasion of our country," he added.

Trump, whose campaign focused heavily on restricting migration and appealed to voters concerned about changing demographics, also intends to end the long-standing practice of granting automatic citizenship to anyone born in the United States.

"We're going to end asylum," White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly told reporters. She further outlined plans to implement "an immediate removal process without the possibility of asylum. We are then going to end birthright citizenship."

Birthright citizenship, a principle rooted in the US Constitution, grants citizenship to anyone born on American soil.

Kelly stated the administration's actions would "clarify" the 14th Amendment, which addresses this right.

"The federal government will not recognise automatic birthright citizenship for children of illegal aliens born in the United States," she asserted.

Kelly also said the administration would reinstate the "Remain in Mexico" policy from Trump's previous presidency. This policy required migrants applying for entry at the Mexican border to remain outside the US until their applications were processed.

"We're going to... reinstate Remain in Mexico and build the wall," she said.

Additionally, Trump's administration plans to introduce the death penalty for non-citizens who commit capital crimes, including murder.

"This is about national security. This is about public safety, and this is about the victims of some of the most violent, abusive criminals we've seen enter our country in our lifetime, and it ends today," Kelly declared.

Legal Challenges Likely

Many of Trump's earlier executive actions on immigration were reversed by Joe Biden, including the use of Title 42, a policy enacted during the Covid-19 pandemic that blocked most entries on public health grounds.

Biden's changes led to an increase in border crossings, with scenes of crowded border areas sparking criticism from Trump and his allies, who frequently referred to the situation as an "invasion" caused by Biden's "open border" policies.

Trump has used stark rhetoric, warning that illegal migration is "poisoning the blood" of the nation-remarks critics have condemned as reminiscent of Nazi Germany.

While US presidents wield significant authority, their powers are not unlimited. Analysts have highlighted the legal hurdles facing attempts to alter birthright citizenship.

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, Senior Fellow at the American Immigration Council, argued that the 14th Amendment is "crystal clear" in granting citizenship to all individuals born in the United States, except for children of foreign diplomats.

"We have had birthright citizenship for centuries, and a president cannot take it away with an executive order," he told AFP.

Reichlin-Melnick predicted swift legal challenges to Trump's proposed changes.

He acknowledged the need for immigration reform but cautioned that executive orders are unlikely to bring about lasting solutions.

"Instituting new travel bans will make the US legal immigration system even more complex, expensive, and difficult to navigate than ever," he said.

"Our immigration system is badly out of date, and executive actions aiming to restrict it even further will harm the United States."