Should America End Birthright Citizenship?

Open to Debate

Education, Society & Culture, News, Government, Politics

4.5 • 2.1K Ratings

🗓️ 24 October 2025

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Birthright citizenship guarantees citizenship to anyone born within the United States’ territory, regardless of a parent’s nationality. But should this legal principle be removed from the Constitution? Those arguing it shouldn’t say that it prevents children from being punished for their parents’ status, while encouraging long-term economic and civic contributions. But those calling to end the practice argue it fuels illegal immigration and strains the overburdened immigration system. Now, we debate: Should America End Birthright Citizenship? This debate was recorded on October 9, 2025 at 1 PM at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University in Phoenix, AZ. This event is part of a new partnership between Open to Debate and Arizona State University’s Institute of Politics to bring live debate programming to ASU’s campus in a special series titled PRO/CONversations. Produced by Arizona PBS in the Arizona State University Media Enterprise—which will air and promote the recorded programs—the series is designed to model civil discourse for students while offering hands-on production experience to ASU journalism students. Arguing Yes: Mark Krikorian, Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies Horace Cooper, Senior Fellow at the National Center for Public Policy Research; Chairman of the Project 21 National Advisory Board Arguing No: Kris Mayes, Arizona Attorney General Chris Newman, Legal Director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON) Emmy award-winning journalist John Donvan moderates Visit OpentoDebate.org to watch more insightful debates. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed on our curated weekly debates, dynamic live events, and educational initiatives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is open to debate. I'm John Donovan here with the live audience at the Walter
0:13.6	Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University in Phoenix, where we intend to pursue
0:18.3	once again our core mission of good faith argument between people
0:22.8	who may disagree fiercely, but who are also willing to meet on a stage such as this one,
0:27.6	to engage, to listen, to make their case with facts and logic and critical thinking,
0:32.6	where it is the ideas that go up against each other while the debaters demonstrate respect for one another.
0:38.2	The idea at the heart of this debate, it's the concept of birthright citizenship.
0:43.6	At its most simple, this is the idea that a person born in the U.S. and the practice is thereby
0:48.2	recognized as an American citizen, regardless of who that person's parents are, with only a few
0:53.0	exceptions. It derives from an amendment
0:55.1	to the Constitution that's been in effect for 157 years, but it is being meaningfully challenged right now.
1:02.0	President Trump signed an executive order on the first day of his second term, intending to
1:07.1	deny citizenship to children of families who lack legal status to reside in the U.S.
1:11.7	It is being challenged this executive order, and it's likely to go to the Supreme Court.
1:16.1	This debate will focus not just on the legal arguments involved, but also will look at the
1:22.4	actual consequences of a potential end to birthright citizenship as it has long been practiced. Will the nation be better off or worse off if it comes to that? Here is the question up for debate. Should America end birthright citizenship? We have four compelling voices eager to debate on this topic. It will be two against two, taking on this question in three rounds.
1:49.3	Those rounds are opening arguments, open discussion, and closing arguments. A reminder to the debaters about some of our ground rules, which I will enforce, no personal attacks, no
1:55.5	endless repetition of the same talking points, and to our audience, we ask that you also
2:00.3	maintain civility.
2:02.4	Part of our mission at Open to Debate is to encourage what you're about to see, we hope,
2:07.0	healthy debate, even debate on highly contentious issues such as this one. We do this by ensuring
2:11.8	that all of our participants, debaters and audience alike, maintain the highest standard of civility.
	...

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