The Issue: President Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship for children of illegal immigrants.
American birthright citizenship has always been a great attraction for those migrating to the US (“Trumpeting Don’s orders,” Jan. 23).
For many, that aspiration to citizenship represented the promise of a better life for their families and, in particular, their children.
President Trump is wrong to mess with that. Going after criminal illegals and shutting down the border is the right thing to do. Destroying the opportunity for a family to see their children grow up in a free society is the wrong thing to do.
Trump should abandon this notion — it’s not a battle worth fighting.
Ken Karcinell
Hewlett
The key language in the 14th Amendment is “subject to the jurisdiction thereof.” The person must owe full allegiance to the United States. To meet that requirement, the person must not be subject to the political jurisdiction of another country. That’s where Trump’s executive order on birthright citizenship seems to stem from.
My best guess for the underlying motive behind the executive order is that the White House wants to discourage those who think they can come here and have citizen children.
Arthur Saginian
Santa Clarita, Calif.
Ending birthright citizenship is a cruel act. Newborns would be denied their citizenship and therefore, health and education. We would have a community of stateless children, which could have devastating results.
Republicans, please remember you swore an oath to protect our Constitution. Here’s your chance!
Donna Stone
Manhattan
The anchor-baby scam weighs down US taxpayers. Of course it needs to be fixed, as it’s one of the root causes of the welfare payments to illegal aliens.
Why wouldn’t Trump want to wipe away this scam system?
Eugene Dunn
Medford, Ore.
Remember, the 14th Amendment was enacted after the Civil War to grant former slaves citizenship. Unfortunately, illegals now think they can use their child’s birthright as a tool to chain-migrate.
Fred Stewart
Grand Junction, Colo.
The Issue: Bishop Mariann Budde’s National Prayer Service sermon asking Trump to “have mercy.”
President Trump would be foolish to extend an apology, as some suggest he should, to leftist Bishop Mariann Budde, whose lecture at the National Prayer Service was ill-timed and in poor taste (“Holy war vs. ‘nasty’ DC bishop,” Jan. 23).
The incident had nothing to do with Trump fearing the truth, and more to do with a bishop who apparently is in denial of the truth.
It is the bishop who owes Trump an immediate apology for making a spectacle of herself and for embarrassing the National Cathedral. If she had any integrity, she could have communicated her thoughts privately to the president before or after the service.
It is obvious her sole intention was to embarrass him and earn her fifteen minutes of fame on CNN and “The View.”
J.J. Crovatto
Ramsey, NJ
Bishop Budde crossed the line in her disquisition when she told Trump that LGBTQ children fear for their lives and asked him to show mercy for their parents.
There was not one word from her about the US citizens who were not shown mercy by their illegal-immigrant murderers.
She entered the realm of divisive politics and fearmongering, which only foster more alienation.
Joseph Valente
Staten Island
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