Speaker Mike Johnson Criticizes Birthright Tourism

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) criticized the erosion of the 14th Amendment’s protections on Sunday, accusing “birthright tourism” of devaluing the constitutional guarantee of citizenship to children born in the United States. His remarks followed President Trump’s call for Congress to address the issue after the Supreme Court declined to take up a challenge to Trump’s executive order attempting to limit birthright citizenship. Johnson praised Justice Clarence Thomas’s dissent in the court’s decision, which argued that the high court should have ruled on the legality of the executive action.

The 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, grants citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil, a principle central to debates over immigration policy. Trump’s executive order, issued in 2024, sought to restrict birthright citizenship for children of noncitizens, a move blocked by lower courts and later left unresolved by the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear the case. Johnson’s comments align with broader Republican efforts to challenge the 14th Amendment’s automatic citizenship clause, though such changes would require congressional action or a constitutional amendment. Critics argue that the amendment’s language is clear and that attempts to reinterpret it risk undermining civil rights protections.

The debate highlights tensions between executive authority, judicial review, and legislative power. While the Supreme Court’s inaction leaves the executive order’s legality unresolved, Johnson’s advocacy underscores growing political momentum to redefine citizenship standards. However, legal experts note that overturning the 14th Amendment’s provisions would face significant constitutional hurdles, requiring broad bipartisan support in Congress. The issue remains a focal point in ongoing discussions about immigration policy and the balance of federal power.