Donald Trump vows to eliminate US birthright citizenship after taking charge

"We have to end it. It's ridiculous," he told NBC's Meet the Press in his first broadcast network interview after winning the presidential election in November.

The US Constitution guarantees the provision for birthright citizenship and the practice is in place for more than 150 years. Therefore, an attempt to change it would face significant hurdles.

"We're going to have to get it changed. We'll maybe have to go back to the people. But we have to end it," he said during the interview.

Trump had raised this issue during his first term as well, but nothing substantial happened.

The 14th Amendment of the Constitution provides birthright citizenship for all those born in the US. It is well-established under US law and, therefore, an elimination would encounter significant legal challenges.

The 14th Amendment guarantees that: "All persons born or naturalised in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside."

Trump and other opponents of this policy believe that this right enables "birth tourism", a phenomenon where pregnant women enter the US specifically to give birth so that the children get US citizenship.

The issue will impact several immigrants including Indians living in the country, who plan to start a family in the US for better life.

In the interview, Trump also said he would pardon those involved in the 2021 Capitol riot and promised to issue "a lot" of executive orders on day one covering the economy, energy, and immigration.

The Republican also reiterated his plan of mass deportation for undocumented immigrants living in the US.

However, he offered to work with Democrats to help those who arrived as children.

"I don't want to be breaking up families, so the only way you don't break up the family is you keep them together and you have to send them all back," meaning legal citizens would also be expelled to keep families together.