Donald Trump looks to scrap automatic birthright citizenship for children of illegal immigrants and non-US parents

Donald Trump has indicated he is looking to scrap automatic citizenship for children born to non-US parents and illegal immigrants.

In a media interview, the president said he would use an executive order to clamp down on so-called birthright citizenship, provided for by the US Constitution.

The 14th Amendment, it is widely accepted, grants citizenship to any child born on US soil, regardless of their parents' immigration status.

Mr Trump's claim comes ahead of the November midterm elections.

Many senior politicians, including Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan, have questioned the possibility of using an executive order to overturn the Constitution.

  • What exactly has President Trump said?

Mr Trump says he can change the US Constitution single-handed. Credit: AP

Mr Trump said he wanted to order the end of the constitutional right to citizenship for babies of non-citizens and unauthorised immigrants born in the US.

The president made the comments to Axios on HBO, amid a renewed push for hard-line immigration policies, something predicated to go down well with his core supporters ahead of the mid-terms.

In recent weeks, Mr Trump has also railed against a caravan of migrants making its way from Honduras to the US border.

He has indicated he will do everything in his power to stop the thousands-strong caravan making it into the country.

  • What is the 14th Amendment?

This migrant caravan from Honduras is heading towards the US. Credit: AP

The 14th Amendment has been around since 1868.

It was one of three amendments passed around the time of the American Civil War to abolish slavery and establish civil and legal rights for black Americans.

The citizenship clause of the 14th Amendment reads: "(A)ll persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States, and of the state wherein they reside."

The clause guarantees all citizens "equal protection of the laws."

  • Could a president single-handedly revoke the Constitution?

A section from the first page of the US Constitution. Credit: AP

An attempt to revoke birthright citizenship would likely spark a court battle over a president's unilateral ability to change an amendment to the Constitution.

Asked about the situation himself, Mr Trump said "they're saying I can do it just with an executive order".

He indicated that White House lawyers are reviewing his proposal.

Many constitutional experts have questioned Mr Trump's claims he can change the Constitution, with one saying that he is "not a king".

Still others argue that such an executive order might be possible if narrowly drawn, but would violate the spirit of the Constitution's 14th Amendment.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, himself a Republican, has argued that Mr Trump's suggestion simply isn't possible.

He said: "Well you obviously cannot do that. You cannot end birthright citizenship with an executive order."