Schmitt Raises Concerns About Birthright Citizenship During Senate Judiciary Hearing

Washington, D.C. (KFMO) -  Missouri U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt is calling for closer examination of birthright citizenship policies following a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing held Tuesday.

The hearing focused on American citizenship and specifically the practice of granting birthright citizenship to children born in the United States to illegal immigrants or foreign tourists.

In his opening remarks, Schmitt said the citizenship clause of the Constitution was originally written to correct what he described as a grave injustice following the Civil War. He argued the clause was never intended to create incentives for illegal immigration or to support what critics call “birth tourism.”

Schmitt also told the committee that Congress has a responsibility to examine the constitutional text, the historical record surrounding the clause, and the consequences of current policies.

The hearing is part of a broader national debate surrounding immigration policy and the interpretation of the citizenship clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.