Recently, President Donald Trump has again sparked controversy by suggesting the idea of deporting U.S. citizens, notably those he refers to as “bad criminals” or “homegrown criminals,” implying they were born in the U.S. but have committed serious offenses. He has publicly stated that “maybe that’ll be the next job” his administration works on, in addition to ongoing efforts to deport non-citizens.
This re-emergent discussion follows his administration’s broader push for stricter immigration enforcement and his long-standing focus on deportations. It also comes amidst ongoing legal challenges and public debate regarding his executive order aiming to reinterpret the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which traditionally guarantees birthright citizenship to nearly anyone born on U.S. soil.
Legal experts widely view the idea of deporting U.S. citizens as unconstitutional, citing the 14th Amendment’s citizenship clause. However, the Trump administration has been exploring legal avenues, including potentially denaturalizing naturalized citizens who allegedly committed fraud during their naturalization process.
The comments have drawn strong reactions from various groups, including civil rights advocates, who express concerns about due process, the potential for statelessness, and the historical implications of such policies. Recent Supreme Court rulings have also impacted the scope of nationwide injunctions against certain immigration policies, adding to the complexity of the legal landscape surrounding these proposals. The discussion highlights a significant and contentious aspect of the current administration’s approach to immigration and citizenship.
