Portrait of Stephen Miller
Politician · policy
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Stephen Miller on Birthright Citizenship

Vocal opponent of jus soli (strong)

TL;DR

Stephen Miller strongly opposes birthright citizenship, viewing it as a costly perversion of the Fourteenth Amendment.

Key Points

  • He advocated for an executive order restricting birthright citizenship by arguing that children of non-permanent resident parents are not fully subject to U.S. jurisdiction.

  • He described the centuries-old citizenship provision as a “perversion, misinterpretation, misapplication of the 14th Amendment.”

  • His position on birthright citizenship is part of a consistent hardline immigration agenda he has promoted since at least 2016.

Summary

Stephen Miller is a vocal opponent of the current interpretation of birthright citizenship, frequently characterizing it as "the biggest, costliest scam in financial history" and an "absolute perversion, misinterpretation, misapplication of the 14th Amendment." His position is that the provision granting citizenship to all persons born in the United States and subject to its jurisdiction should not apply to children born to parents who are temporarily or unlawfully present. This view is integral to his broader hardline stance on immigration policy, which he has forcefully pursued as a chief architect of the administration's agenda.

This opposition predates his role in the second Trump administration, having been a priority since at least early 2016. His advocacy involves pushing for an executive order that seeks to restrict the application of birthright citizenship by narrowly interpreting the "subject to the jurisdiction" clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. This stance is being tested at the Supreme Court, which is examining the legality of such an executive order based on arguments that children of non-permanent resident parents owe allegiance to their parents' home country.

Key Quotes

“America is for Americans and Americans only.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Stephen Miller is a strong opponent of the current system of birthright citizenship, viewing it as a major flaw in U.S. immigration law. He argues that the Fourteenth Amendment's grant of citizenship to those born in the U.S. should not apply to children born to parents who are undocumented or on temporary visas.

Stephen Miller labeled birthright citizenship as "the biggest, costliest scam in financial history" during a media appearance. He believes this practice, which grants citizenship automatically based on location of birth, encourages illegal immigration.

There is no indication that Stephen Miller has changed his position; he has been forcefully pursuing efforts to end birthright citizenship since early in the first Trump administration. His focus has remained consistent on limiting immigration through executive and policy actions.