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The Politics of Birthright Citizenship

Featured on Snopes today: A brief history of birthright citizenship in the United States, a look at allegations that the FBI illegally wiretapped President Trump, and viral video of a "globular bolt."

Published Jan. 15, 2020

The United States has long held to the principle of birthright citizenship, which holds that any child born on U.S. soil, regardless of parentage, is a U.S. citizen. The problem of illegal immigration has caused some to question the principle — most notably, President Donald Trump, who has actually called for its abandonment because, he says, it is costly and unfair.

As fundamental as it has been to American-citizenship policy, the principle of birthright citizenship has come under attack on previous occasions when matters of race were involved, writes Carol Nackenoff of The Conversation. It was never not a contentious issue.

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