Trump tightens citizenship rules for children of immigrants

Donald Trump, President of the United States, has signed a new executive order that will mean that children whose parents are in the country illegally will no longer automatically become US citizens. The document was signed in the Oval Office on 20 January, immediately after Trump took office. The decree aims to reinterpret the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which currently guarantees citizenship to persons born on US soil.

The move comes amid a series of tougher immigration policy measures by the Trump administration, including an increase in deportations and a tightening of asylum programs.

Legal experts say the change is unconstitutional and will likely be challenged in court.

According to other media reports, this regulation will apply to children born within 30 days of the legislation’s enactment if the parents are in the US illegally or if the mother is in the US temporarily (for example, on a visa) but the father is not a US citizen.