Sirius XM host Stephen A. Smith took a firm stance Wednesday against unrestricted birthright citizenship, linking the policy to a cascade of national crises during a segment on his show, “Straight Shooter with Stephen A.” Smith’s comments arrived the same day the Supreme Court heard oral arguments regarding the constitutionality of a presidential executive order aimed at ending birthright citizenship for children born to undocumented immigrants.
Addressing his audience, Smith pointed to the nation’s economic and social hurdles as reasons for his opposition.
“Do you or do you not have a problem with birthright citizenship? I do,” Smith said. “We’re 39 trillion in debt. Our economy is not strong. It’s threatening to unravel before our very eyes.” He cited unemployment, crime, and poverty as evidence of a “state of affairs” that should give Americans “cause to pause.”
Smith specifically questioned the logistics of maintaining the current system under such strain.
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“How do you resolve that? If you’re just letting people walk in, especially people who intentionally crossed the border illegally, just to give birth to someone, to a kid on American soil, to ensure that they’re American citizens,” he added.
He further argued that the 14th Amendment’s citizenship clause was originally intended to secure rights for freed slaves and their descendants, rather than for temporary residents or those in the country illegally.
The legal battle at the Supreme Court featured historic participation, as Donald Trump became the first sitting president to attend oral arguments at the high court. On Tuesday, Trump had claimed via Truth Social that foreign nations are “selling citizenships” for financial gain.
In court, Solicitor General John Sauer echoed the administration’s position, stating the citizenship clause should only apply to those with a permanent intent to remain in the U.S.
However, the bench showed signs of skepticism. Chief Justice John Roberts disputed the notion that the policy is being exploited to fuel an immigration crisis.
Similarly, Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh emphasized that American law must be interpreted through the lens of domestic precedent and history, rather than by comparing U.S. policies to those of other nations.
Currently, the United States is among 30 countries globally that maintain unrestricted birthright citizenship.
The debate has drawn sharp commentary from legal experts as well; George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley spoke out Thursday, calling the continuation of the unrestricted policy “insane” and warning of “serious consequences” for the country’s future.
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