Some South Floridians concerned over Trump seeking to overturn birthright citizenship
MIAMI - President Donald Trump's executive order seeking to eliminate birthright citizenship has sparked concern and uncertainty among many in South Florida, where immigrant communities are grappling with the potential consequences.
Eliza Menjibar, a Salvadoran immigrant who entered the U.S. illegally in 2015, expressed disbelief at the executive order. Her daughter, born four years after her arrival, is a U.S. citizen under current law.
"If they were to take the citizenship from my daughter, that would affect me and millions like me," Menjibar told CBS Miami.
Addressing claims that immigrants have children in the U.S. to secure citizenship, she pushed back, saying, "That's not true. I fell in love with her dad two years after I came here. I was not planning on becoming a mother."
Immigration attorney Willie Allen, who has practiced in South Florida for more than 30 years, criticized the legality of the move.
"No law can be applied retroactively if it's to give you a negative impact," he told CBS Miami.
When asked about the likelihood of the executive order succeeding against the 14th Amendment, which grants citizenship to those born in the U.S., Allen was unequivocal. "Zero," he said. "He (President Trump) will be challenged. You need congressional action and you need state action."
The executive order is expected to face legal challenges as opponents argue it contradicts constitutional protections.
