Donald Trump just finished watching American Carnage, and he came up with a “brilliant” way to rile up his supporters.
The president-elect has dusted off an old idea: ending birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants. Does this mean that Ted Cruz is about to be sent packing to Calgary? In a campaign video released recently, Trump said that he would sign an executive order to end what he calls a “magnet” for illegal immigration on Day One of his second term.
The plan, as usual, is big on empty promises but light on legal viability. It directly challenges the 14th Amendment, which has guaranteed citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil since 1868. This is the same amendment that helped cement civil rights for freed slaves — but sure, let’s rewrite it with an executive order, because that’s definitely how constitutional law works.
Reddit is having a field day with Trump’s unhinged idea. It goes without saying that ending birthright citizenship is unconstitutional. But Reddit was not worried about the legal implications. The real question users latched onto was whether the Texas senator, a favorite meme target and Calgary’s most notable export, might find himself swept up in his party leader’s immigration crusade. Cruz, after all, was born in Canada to a Cuban father and an American mother. And as one cheeky Canadian Redditor put it, “Canadian here. No backsies.”
We have to admit, we are warming up to the idea of deporting Ted Cruz. Unfortunately, his parents are not illegal immigrants. Cruz was born in Canada, and his mother was born in the U.S. Although her parents were illegal immigrants, she was born on American soil. And that’s how Cruz got his citizenship. So, Canada wins this one, we’ll have to keep him.
Now, let’s be clear — Trump’s plan probably isn’t going anywhere. This isn’t the first time he tried this exact move. In 2018, he promised to rewrite birthright citizenship laws via executive order. The plan got shut down faster than Matt Gaetz’s AG nomination. This time isn’t any different. Trump can double down, but the reality is that such an order would face challenges in court almost immediately. The 14th Amendment is a pretty tough nut to crack. It states, quite plainly, that anyone born in the U.S. is a citizen — no exception for immigration status. And, as one Reddit user pointed out, it will be nearly impossible for Trump to get the green light on this.
Whether or not his birthright citizenship plan survives past the Reddit comment section, it’s given us a vivid mental image: Ted Cruz, suitcases in hand, sheepishly knocking on Justin Trudeau’s door. If Canada does decide to let him in, we just hope they remember — no backsies.