Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) introduced legislation on Wednesday aimed at ending birthright citizenship for children born to undocumented immigrants. In launching the Constitutional Citizenship Clarification Act, Cotton criticized President Joe Biden’s recent executive order on immigration, calling it ineffective.
Cotton asserted that granting birthright citizenship to children of undocumented immigrants has exacerbated illegal immigration to unprecedented levels. “There is no constitutional right for undocumented immigrants to cross the border to secure citizenship for their children,” Cotton stated in a press release. He argued that this legislative change would mitigate the adverse effects of what he termed as Biden’s “catastrophic border crisis.”
The proposed bill is co-sponsored by Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and J.D. Vance (R-OH). The legislation seeks to exclude children of undocumented immigrants, as well as those of terrorists and foreign spies, from being granted birthright citizenship.
Cotton announced this initiative shortly after President Biden issued an executive order limiting the number of asylum petitions from undocumented immigrants to 2,500 per day. Cotton criticized this cap, suggesting it sends a message to cartels and potential terrorists that as long as the number of illegal border crossings stays below 75,000 per month, they are welcome to enter the country.
Data from the Center for Immigration Studies indicates that approximately 3.8 million undocumented immigrants have entered the United States since Biden assumed office, bringing the total undocumented population to about 13.8 million.
This hard-line immigration stance coincides with reports that Cotton is being considered as a potential running mate for former President Donald Trump. In May, it was reported that Cotton had joined figures like Governor Doug Burgum (R-ND) and Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), and J.D. Vance on Trump’s shortlist for vice presidential candidates. Cotton’s staunch foreign policy positions and support for Ukraine often put him at odds with the growing isolationist trend within the Republican Party.
As the Republican Party gears up for the upcoming elections, Cotton’s blend of establishment appeal and populist rhetoric could make him a valuable ally for Trump. Cotton has also been vocal in his support for Trump during the former president’s legal challenges, notably calling for the removal of special counsel Jack Smith from Trump’s election subversion case, labeling Smith “an unhinged zealot.”