Republicans Escalate Immigration Crackdown as Trump Pushes End to Birthright Citizenship

Washington is witnessing a new escalation in the immigration debate, as the Republican Party has expanded its hardline campaign to include even migrants who obtained legal status after years of official procedures. This came after last week’s shooting of two National Guard members in the capital, prompting President Donald Trump’s administration to halt the granting of asylum and vow to expand the travel ban to include more than 30 countries, in addition to reviewing the status of green-card holders from 19 nations.

The suspected attacker entered the United States from Afghanistan through the Biden-era parole program and received asylum earlier this year, while another Afghan national was arrested for allegedly making online threats. These incidents have intensified Republican calls for increased scrutiny of migrants.

In Congress, Republican Senator Bernie Moreno (Ohio) introduced a bill banning dual citizenship, forcing immigrants to choose only one nationality. Senator Tom Cotton (Arkansas) announced a bill allowing the Secretary of Homeland Security to revoke citizenship from immigrants who take part in riots or violent protests. Meanwhile, Representative Chip Roy (Texas) is pushing the “Freeze Act,” which would suspend all forms of legal immigration and end birthright citizenship.

Online, influencers and candidates from the MAGA movement promoted even more extreme proposals, including shutting down the refugee program and mass citizenship revocation. President Trump further fueled the controversy on Sunday, saying he would “certainly” strip some Americans of their citizenship if he could.

The Supreme Court announced Friday that it will hear a case related to Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship — a constitutionally established right. If the Court sides with the President, it could mark a dramatic shift in U.S. nationality laws.