Andy Barr breaks with Trump over vow to end birthright citizenship

Hours after receiving a Twitter endorsement from President Donald Trump, U.S. Rep. Andy Barr broke step with the president over the citizenship rights of U.S.-born children whose parents are undocumented immigrants.

In his latest appeal to his Republican base, Trump said Tuesday he would like to issue an executive order that ends the constitutionally-guaranteed right of citizenship for some people born in the United States.

“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,” Trump said to Axios. “It’s ridiculous. It’s ridiculous. And it has to end.”

Barr said Trump does not have that authority.

“The constitution is clear,” Barr said Tuesday after campaigning with House Speaker Paul Ryan at Toyota Tsusho in Georgetown. “The constitution cannot be changed by an executive order.”

More than 30 countries allow birthright citizenship, according to the Center for Immigration Studies.

When Barr was asked whether the constitution should be changed to prevent the children of undocumented immigrants who are born in the United States from automatically being given citizenship, Barr said he didn’t think it was necessary.

“I don’t think we need to change the constitution, I think we need to secure the border,” Barr said.

Barr’s comments echo those made by Ryan earlier in the day on the Larry Glover Show on Lexington radio station WVLK.

“We agree with Speaker Ryan on this issue,” said Mark Nickolas, McGrath’s campaign manager. “We are a nation of laws and you can not overturn a constitutional right with an executive order.”

Birthright citizenship is guaranteed under the 14th Amendment, which granted all people born or naturalized in the United States citizenship, including slaves.

Trump has focused on concerns about immigration in an attempt to help Republicans in the 2018 midterm elections, much like he used the issue to help win his 2016 presidential race. He has made several unsubstantiated claims about a caravan of migrants heading to the United States from Mexico and on Monday sent 5,200 troops to the southern border.

During a rally in Richmond earlier this month, Trump hit on immigration several times, painting a drab portrait of an America that would be overrun with immigrants should Democrats win in November.

Barr has followed suit, criticizing Democratic opponent Amy McGrath’s comments on immigration issues. Barr has claimed McGrath supports open borders because she has called Trump’s border wall “stupid.”

McGrath has repeatedly said she is not for open borders, but would like to further secure the borders by upgrading surveillance technology.

This story was originally published October 30, 2018 at 2:55 PM.