Senator Markwayne Mullin, an Oklahoma Republican, said on Sunday during an interview appearance on NBC News’ Meet the Press that children born in the United States to undocumented immigrants should “go where their parents are” if those parents are deported.
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump has pledged to carry out the largest mass deportation effort in U.S. history as part of his aggressive immigration agenda.
On Friday, a 6-3 ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court ended the use of nationwide injunctions by federal judges, clearing the way for President Trump’s restrictions on automatic U.S. citizenship to take effect in some states while remaining blocked in others, as injunctions issued by more than 20 states remain in place. In states without active injunctions, Trump’s policy could take effect 30 days after the Court’s ruling.
The ruling did not decide whether an executive order from Trump—which seeks to deny U.S. citizenship to children born on American soil to illegal immigrants—is constitutional.
What To Know
During an interview appearance on Sunday, Meet the Press‘ host Kristen Welker asked Mullin if he thought babies who are born in the U.S. to undocumented parents should be deported in light of the recent Court ruling. The Republican responded that there’s “a whole industry” dedicated to having undocumented mothers gain birthright citizenship for their children.
“There’s a whole industry that stood up to bring people here in their last month of pregnancy to have a child here, and they come here on a vacation visa, and they have a child so their child will be able to be U.S. citizens,” Mullin said. “It’s a whole industry. You know it, and I know it. What we’re trying to do is end those that are gaming the system. That’s exactly what’s happening.”
Welker then asked, “Should those babies be deported with their parents, senator? Are you saying those babies should be deported with their parents?”
Mullin defended his position by saying, “They should go where their parents are. Why wouldn’t you send a child with their parents? Why would you want to separate them? I wouldn’t want to be separated from my kid. And no parent should want to be separated from their kids. So, when their parents are deported, though, then the child should most definitely go with the parents.”
The uncertain legal status of Trump’s executive order has left immigrants, advocacy groups, and lawmakers questioning how new policies will be enforced and what the consequences will be for U.S.-born children of undocumented parents.
Birthright citizenship, guaranteed by the 14th Amendment since the post-Civil War era, remains a central issue in America’s ongoing debate over immigration and national identity.
The law has been interpreted since 1898 to guarantee U.S. citizenship to nearly all individuals born within the country’s territory, except for very specific exceptions such as children of diplomats.
The Trump administration has argued that children of those in the country illegally are not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the U.S. and therefore should not be entitled to citizenship.
Opponents and legal scholars maintain that the plain meaning and historical intent of the 14th Amendment protect those children’s citizenship, and federal courts have repeatedly ruled against the Trump administration’s interpretation.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday: “GIANT WIN in the United States Supreme Court! Even the Birthright Citizenship Hoax has been, indirectly, hit hard. It had to do with the babies of slaves (same year!), not the SCAMMING of our Immigration process.”
Cody Wofsy, deputy director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Immigrants’ Rights Project, in a press release: “The executive order is blatantly illegal and cruel. It should never be applied to anyone. The court’s decision to potentially open the door to enforcement is disappointing, but we will do everything in our power to ensure no child is ever subjected to the executive order.”
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, writing on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday: “Today, the Supreme Court instructed district courts to STOP the endless barrage of nationwide injunctions against President Trump. This would not have been possible without tireless work from our excellent lawyers @TheJusticeDept and our Solicitor General John Sauer.”
Professor Samuel Bray previously told Newsweek in a statement: “Given that the birthright-citizenship executive order is unconstitutional, I expect courts will grant those preliminary injunctions, and they will be affirmed on appeal. I do not expect the President’s executive order on birthright citizenship will ever go into effect. Today’s decision is a vindication and reassertion of the proper role of the federal courts in our constitutional system.”
What Happens Next?
As of this ruling, the fate of birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants remains unresolved, with further legal proceedings expected.
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