FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353
June 5, 2024

Cotton, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Amend Birthright Citizenship

Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today introduced the Constitutional Citizenship Clarification Act, legislation that would make law the Supreme Court’s “ambassadors and invaders” exceptions to birthright citizenship. The bill would also make children of illegal immigrants, terrorists, and foreign spies ineligible for birthright citizenship.

Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) are co-sponsoring the legislation.

“There is no constitutional right for illegal aliens to cross the border to gain citizenship for their children. Granting birthright citizenship to illegal aliens has contributed to the highest levels of illegal immigration in history. Fixing this will help reduce the damage from Biden’s catastrophic border crisis,” said Senator Cotton.

Text of the bill may be found here.

The Constitutional Citizenship Clarification Act would:

  • Amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to clarify that no child is eligible for birthright citizenship if their parents are unlawfully present in the United States, present in the U.S. for diplomatic purposes, or engaged in a hostile operation against the U.S.

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