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IMPLICATIONS OF TRUMP’S BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP FOR NIGERIA, BY USMAN MUSTAPHA
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order seeking to redefine birthright citizenship in the United States.
The order, signed just hours after his inauguration on January 20, 2025, seeks to limit automatic citizenship to children born to parents who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
This policy shift has far-reaching implications for immigrant communities, particularly unlawful immigrants, with Trump’s order stopping the State Department from issuing passports and directing the Social Security Administration to no longer recognise the babies born by immigrants as U.S. citizens.
The order will take effect in the next 30 days.
The ICIR gathered that Birthright citizenship is rooted in the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which declares that “all persons born” in the United States “are citizens of the United States”.
The opening sentence of the 14th Amendment establishes the concept of birthright citizenship as “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside.”
Children born to undocumented Nigerian immigrants, as well as those on temporary visas, may no longer qualify for U.S. citizenship by birth.
This also means that the children denied citizenship may face deportation alongside their parents under Trump’s broader immigration policies.
The ICIR reports that many Nigerians have sought opportunities in the U.S. through education, work, or asylum to escape the country’s persistent hardships.
However, this latest development will particularly impact non-permanent residents (families) who hoped their U.S.-born children would have access to opportunities afforded by citizenship, including public education, federal benefits, and long-term residency rights.
The U.S. has relatively been a favoured destination for “birth tourism” among Nigerians, with many pregnant women travelling to the U.S. to give birth and secure citizenship for their children, according to reports.
Nigerian families involved in such arrangements may now face uncertainty about their children’s future.
However, according to reports, the executive order has sparked an immediate backlash from civil rights organisations, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which argues that the move violates the 14th Amendment of the U.S.
Although legal experts have reportedly emphasised that Trump’s order is unlikely to withstand judicial scrutiny, the uncertainty surrounding the order could deter Nigerian immigrants from pursuing opportunities in the U.S. and create fear among those already residing in the country.
This was in addition to another immigration order signed by the U.S. president declaring illegal immigration at the US-Mexico border a national emergency.
Trump also designated criminal cartels as terrorist organisations, as part of his efforts to reverse several immigration policies of the Biden administration.
This includes overturning an order that limited deportation priorities to individuals involved in serious crimes, those considered national security threats, or those apprehended at the border.
Trump withdraws U.S. from WHO, Paris Climate Agreement
Similarly, Trump has signed an executive order withdrawing the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO)
The order, signed on January 20, 2025, reverses the Biden administration’s 2021 decision to rejoin the global health body.
Trump cited the WHO’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and alleged political influence from member states, including China, as key reasons for the withdrawal.
He criticised the organisation for failing to adopt reforms and highlighted funding disparities, noting that the U.S. contributed significantly more than other nations, including China, despite having a smaller population.
Under the order, all U.S. funding and resources to the WHO will be paused, and American personnel working with the organisation will be recalled. The White House will direct federal agencies to identify alternative partners to take on activities previously managed by the WHO.
The executive order mandates a review and replacement of the 2024 U.S. Global Health Security Strategy. Additionally, it halts U.S. participation in negotiations on the WHO Pandemic Agreement and amendments to the International Health Regulations, declaring that such agreements will have no binding force on the country.
The president also pulled out the US from the Paris Climate Agreement.
He said before his large crowd of supporters, “I’m immediately withdrawing from the unfair, one-sided Paris climate accord rip-off”, adding, “The United States will not sabotage our own industries while China pollutes with impunity.
The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by 196 Parties at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris, France, on 12 December 2015, and entered into force on 4 November 2016.
With Trump’s pulling the US out of the treaty, the country joins Libya, Iran and Yemen, which are the only non-member states to the treaty.
Like several other Trump orders, the move has sparked reactions, as critics warned it could weaken international cooperation on public health crises.
Delays of TikTok ban
Besides, Trump signed an executive order delaying the enforcement of a law banning TikTok and other apps associated with non-allies.
The law, which was set to take effect on January 19, 2025, prohibits the distribution, maintenance, and updates of apps controlled by TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance Ltd., on national security grounds.
In the executive order, Trump instructed the attorney general to halt enforcement of the act for 75 days, allowing his administration to assess TikTok’s national security risks and evaluate mitigation measures implemented by the platform.
The order also prevents penalties for entities distributing or maintaining TikTok during the review period.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting.
