President Trump said in a new interview that he will sign an executive order intended to end the practice of birthright citizenship.
Axios reports that the White House is preparing an order that would declare an end to the longstanding staple of America's immigration system. It sets up the Trump administration for a battle at the Supreme Court over the 14th Amendment, which states that all persons "born or naturalized in the United States" are "citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside."
"It was always told to me that you needed a constitutional amendment. Guess what? You don't," Trump said during an interview with the news outlet.
"You can definitely do it with an act of Congress. But now they're saying I can do it just with an executive order," the president added. "We're the only country in the world where a person comes in and has a baby, and the baby is essentially a citizen of the United States ... with all of those benefits,"
In the interview, which is set to air Nov. 4 on "Axios on HBO," Trump refers to the right of citizenship granted to anyone born within the country's borders as "ridiculous" and expressed surprise that anyone outside of the Oval Office knew about the White House's plans.
"It's ridiculous. It's ridiculous. And it has to end," Trump told Axios, adding: "I didn't think anybody knew that but me. I thought I was the only one."
The president's reported plan to end birthright citizenship comes amid some of his administration's strongest rhetoric surrounding a caravan of thousands of Central American migrants bound for the U.S., where many members plan to apply for asylum.
Trump has made controversial and derogative remarks about the caravan, which he has referred to as an "invasion" of migrants "and some very bad people."
"Please go back, you will not be admitted into the United States unless you go through the legal process. This is an invasion of our Country and our Military is waiting for you!" the president tweeted Monday.