Trump's Birthright Citizenship Stunt Diminishes the Country

America's 'greatness' is its generosity in welcoming liberty seekers

- PATRICIA LOPEZ

On January 20, as US President Donald Trump attended an inaugural service at Washington National Cathedral, Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde pleaded with him. "In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now," she said. The vast majority of immigrants are not criminals, Budde said, but pay taxes and are good neighbors. Trump scarcely looked at her. He has made no secret of his desire to restrict entry to the US and won both the Electoral College and the popular vote.

The flurry of executive orders he signed aim to do just that. Among the most chilling: an attempt to override the 14th Amendment, limit birthright citizenship, and create a subclass of children who were born here, but who, through a cruel trick of timing, are not Americans. This takes effect in less than a month. Babies born in the US after that to undocumented parents would, Trump said, no longer be recognized by the federal government as US citizens.