Birthright citizenship debate: US not alone, Mexico case illustrates

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule soon on President Donald Trump's executive order challenging birthright citizenship, a policy Trump insists is unique to the United States. However, about three dozen countries, mostly in the Americas, including Mexico, Canada, Brazil, and Argentina, grant automatic citizenship to children born on their soil Source: AP News. The story of Vivianne Petit Frere, a Haitian immigrant in Tijuana, Mexico, illustrates this contrast. Her granddaughter, born in Mexico, became a Mexican citizen automatically, while Petit Frere herself found a new home after fleeing Haiti Source: listindiario. Trump signed the order on Jan. 20, 2025, as part of his immigration crackdown, and his claim that the U.S. is the only country with birthright citizenship has been met with skepticism from both conservative and liberal justices Source: AP News.

• Widespread practice: Birthright citizenship exists in about 30 countries, predominantly in the Western Hemisphere Source: AP News.
• Historical roots: In the U.S., the 14th Amendment enshrined birthright citizenship after the Civil War, later extended to immigrants' children Source: listindiario.
• Disagreement: Trump asserts the U.S. is "the only Country in the World STUPID enough" to allow birthright citizenship Source: AP News, but multiple countries have similar laws Source: listindiario.