Bad news for the Italian left: the Ius Soli, citizenship model by place of birth, or land right, will need to be re-evaluated by those who use it as a reference, since Donald Trump has announced plans to eliminate it in the United States.
The issue gained prominence in the country, but the impact of the announcement also reverberated in Europe. Trump, in a blunt manner, classified the concept as “ridiculous” and advocated changes that would alter a right guaranteed by the American Constitution.
American model in check
Figures of the Italian left, such as Elly Schlein (leader of the Democratic Party), Angelo Bonelli (Green Europe) and Nicola Fratoianni (Italian Sinister), who often extol the American model, now face a new scenario.
Trump, during his first interview as president-elect, highlighted the need to toughen immigration policy. The fight against illegal immigration, one of the pillars of his campaign, was reaffirmed when he proposed the end of automatic citizenship for those born in the country, something widely discussed in Italy.
Official announcement and strict plans
In an interview with NBC News, Trump, fresh from a trip to Paris, where he met with the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, detailed measures to be adopted at the beginning of his term.
Starting January 20, he said, his government will begin deportation of illegal immigrants, with priority given to criminals. When asked about the possibility of expelling everyone in the country without documents in the next four years, he replied: “We will have to do this”.
Trump called the concept of birthright citizenship “ridiculous” and said that while the right is guaranteed by the Constitution, he would seek to change that rule through executive action.
Impacts on the right to citizenship
Currently, the right to birthright citizenship is guaranteed by the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution. For Trump, however, children of undocumented parents should not have this benefit.
He acknowledged the difficulty of implementing such a measure, but reinforced that will prioritize those who are legally waiting for immigration. “The most affected are those who have been waiting in line for years to enter the country legally,” he said.
Furthermore, he reinforced the discourse of expelling criminals: “We need to get them out of our country. Then, we will act with the rest.”
Full text of the interview: Read the full transcript: President-elect Donald Trump interviewed by “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker
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