WASHINGTON: In her first-ever briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt warned that the Trump administration believes children of migrants are ‘not subject’ to laws of the US, when asked about Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship.
Karoline Leavitt, the youngest White House press secretary in history, defended Trump’s executive order attempting to end birthright citizenship, despite legal challenges from 22 state attorneys general. “This administration believes that birthright citizenship is unconstitutional”, Leavitt said, vowing to take the fight to the Supreme Court.
Leavitt: The Trump administration believes that birthright citizenship is unconstitutional
(It’s literally in the Constitution) pic.twitter.com/HhABnPuHtb
— FactPost (@factpostnews) January 28, 2025
In one of his first acts as the 47th president of the United States, Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at ending “birthright citizenship” — meaning the automatic American citizenship that is granted to anyone born in the country.
Trump’s order seeks to change the rules to deny the granting of citizenship to the children of migrants who are either in the US illegally or on temporary visas. It applies to children born on 19 February and onwards, and does not apply retroactively
The well prepared and confident Leavitt was taking questions during her first press briefing since Trump returned to the White House last week, when she was also asked about the mass arrests. Levitt warned those thinking of entering the United States illegally to “think again” as she listed a number ICE arrests of convicted criminals over the last week. She said Trump wants all illegal immigrants removed – including those who have committed violent crimes and undocumented migrants
.@PressSec just took a blowtorch to the media in the Press Briefing Room! 🔥
When you cross our border illegally, you’re a criminal. Yes, every illegal alien in this country is a criminal.
You’re doing a great job, @karolineleavitt! 👏 pic.twitter.com/iRx8I5ABre
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) January 28, 2025
“The 3,500 arrests that ICE (US Customs and Immigration Enforcement) has made so far since President Trump came back into office. Can you just tell us the numbers? How many have a criminal record versus those who are just in the country illegally”, one reporter asked.
“All of them, because they illegally broke our nation’s laws, and therefore, they are criminals as far as this administration goes,” Leavitt replied. “I know the last administration didn’t see it that way. So it’s a big culture shift in our nation to view someone who breaks our immigration laws as a criminal, but that’s exactly what they are. If they broke our nation’s laws, yes, they are a criminal”, Leavitt said
During the briefing, Leavitt when asked on tariffs said the administration on Saturday plans to slap Canada with punishing tariffs is still in play. Leavitt told reporters that she spoke with the president Monday night and he indicated Feb. 1 was “still on the books” for the introduction of damaging duties against Canada and Mexico. Leavitt added Trump is also considering the same date for tariffs on China.
Leavitt also added that the US will soon place tariffs on foreign-manufactured semiconductors, computer chips and pharmaceuticals in an effort to convince foreign companies to move their manufacturing operations stateside. (ANI)