New poll finds most Americans want limits on birthright citizenship

A majority of Americans want to see the country restrict access to birthright citizenship along the lines of what President Trump has proposed, according to results from a new survey released Thursday.

Rasmussen Reports found 59% of those polled backed the idea of limiting citizenship for babies born on U.S. soil only to children where one parent is an American citizen or legal permanent resident.

That would exclude children born to illegal immigrants and to temporary visitors, such as guest-workers.

It would effectively close the so-called “birth tourism” loophole as well. That’s a practice where pregnant women pay tens of thousands of dollars to arrange a trip to the U.S. so they are here when their child is born.

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments earlier this month on Mr. Trump’s executive order restricting automatic citizenship.

Most justices seemed skeptical of Mr. Trump’s argument, pointing to an 1898 Supreme Court ruling and laws written in the middle of the 20th century that assumed an expansive definition of birthright citizenship that includes nearly every child born here.

The Rasmussen poll, though, suggests that whatever the legal situation, the country would like to see limits.

The poll was taken April 1, 2 and 5 by telephone and online, and included 1,054 respondents.

The question asked was: “Birthright citizenship refers to the current policy where any child born in the United States is automatically a U.S. citizen, regardless of whether their parents are legal residents. Do you support or oppose limiting automatic birthright citizenship to births where at least one parent is a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident?”

Polling on birthright citizenship can vary widely based on how the question is asked.

The Pew Research Center, in polling a year ago, said 50% of respondents said they would consider “people born in the U.S. to parents who immigrated illegally” should be considered citizens.

And the Civic Health and Institutions Project, in a survey earlier this year, mixed all noncitizens together in its question, when it found 59% supported the idea that “children of noncitizens born in the U.S. should continue to receive automatic citizenship.”