MAR 14, 2025
Attorney General Alan Wilson defends President Trump’s Executive Order on birthright citizenship
(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson joined 18 other state attorneys general in filing a friend-of-the-court brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, supporting President Trump’s Executive Order that clarifies the limits of birthright citizenship under the Fourteenth Amendment. It is beyond time for the courts to set the record straight with a legal clarification about who is entitled to U.S. citizenship.
"For decades, open-border policies have placed enormous burdens on states, forcing taxpayers to fund services for individuals who are here illegally,” said Attorney General Wilson. “This executive order restores the original understanding of the drafters who implemented the Fourteenth Amendment and ensures that citizenship is not exploited by those who enter the country unlawfully. For too long, politicians have been too scared to address the abuse of birthright citizenship, but this Executive Order finally brings much-needed clarity and enforcement to the issue.”
The brief affirms that President Trump’s Executive Order, Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship, is constitutional and necessary to curb the incentives currently driving illegal immigration and birth tourism. It does that by mandating that a child born in the United States can only be granted U.S. citizenship if at least one parent is a lawful permanent resident.
The brief emphasizes that the Constitution’s Citizenship Clause was never intended by the Founders to grant automatic citizenship to individuals born to non-citizen parents. One of the original purposes of the Citizenship Clause was to prevent the children of foreign diplomats who were born in the United States from receiving American citizenship. That principle has been muddled in recent decades and now is the time to realign the Fourteenth Amendment’s original meaning with the undeniable realities of illegal immigration facing the United States today.
Under the Biden administration, Americans saw firsthand how one administration’s misinterpretation of the Constitution can create one of the biggest national security crises in our nation’s history. Years of kicking the can down the road have led to a huge strain on state resources, with states paying billions of dollars for the costs of illegal immigration each year. Whether it's for education, welfare, or healthcare, states are paying exorbitant amounts of money each year to keep up. Texas, for example, pays over $850 million per year because of illegal immigration. On top of the cost to taxpayers are the risks to our national security.
The states joining South Carolina in the brief are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming.
MAR 17, 2025
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – On Friday, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson joined President Donald Trump and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi at the Department of Justice headquarters for an important discussion on crime, law enforcement, and justice reform.
“When people ask me what keeps me up at night, I talk about a lot of the problems originating at the southern border of the United States,” said Attorney General Wilson. “Roughly two months ago, with the election of President Trump, America plugged the holes in the boat, but the water is still in the boat. The consequences of the policies that the previous administration implemented have created a lot of problems for our states. Gang activity, illegal immigration, and of course, probably most importantly, the fentanyl that is being trafficked into our respective states. I had the opportunity to serve for eight years with our current United States Attorney General Pam Bondi and what she's doing at the Justice Department is going to be so incredibly helpful to all of us.”
The event highlighted the administration’s commitment to tackling violent crime, strengthening border security, and ensuring justice is applied fairly and consistently across the country. Attorney General Wilson stood alongside President Trump and Attorney General Bondi to emphasize the importance of cracking down on drug cartels, strengthening law enforcement partnerships, and upholding the rule of law.
During the event, President Trump reaffirmed his administration’s aggressive stance on law and order, announcing new initiatives to dismantle organized crime networks and target repeat offenders. Attorney General Bondi outlined reforms within the Department of Justice to streamline investigations and prosecute criminals more effectively.
Attorney General Wilson underscored South Carolina’s commitment to holding criminals accountable and ensuring victims receive the justice they deserve. He praised federal-state partnerships that have led to significant arrests and successful prosecutions in major criminal cases, and South Carolina’s proactive efforts to prevent dangerous criminals from exploiting legal loopholes.
