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Rep. Brian Babin, R-Texas, speaks on the Birthright Citizenship Act at the Capitol, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)<\/p>\n
Rod Lamkey\/AP<\/p>\n
WASHINGTON\u00a0\u2014 Texas Republicans eagerly answered President Donald Trump\u2019s<\/a> call to action Tuesday after the Supreme Court struck down<\/a> his executive order restricting birthright citizenship.<\/p>\n Rep. Brian\u00a0Babin, R-Woodville, said the overturning of Roe v. Wade demonstrated that one Supreme Court decision is not the final word on an issue.<\/p>\n \u201cToday\u2019s decision only reinforces why Congress must act,\u201d\u00a0Babin said. \u201cWe cannot continue with business as usual while millions of people enter our country illegally and our immigration system is being exploited.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Democrats across the country, including in Texas, welcomed the decision, saying the court affirmed a principle that\u2019s been clear for more than 150 years, that people born in the United States are citizens<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cCitizenship is not a favor handed out by a president,\u201d Rep. Sylvia Garcia of Houston posted on X. \u201cDonald Trump cannot erase that right with a Sharpie and an executive order simply because he does not like who a child\u2019s parents are.\u201d<\/p>\n Babin said the court\u2019s ruling that birthright citizenship is protected by the Constitution\u2019s 14th Amendment adds new urgency to legislation he introduced last year<\/a> with language similar to the executive order the court just rejected.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know how anybody with a lick of common sense cannot see what\u2019s happening, what this birthright citizenship is doing to our nation and to our culture and to the rule of law and to the demographics of the electorate,\u201d\u00a0Babin said. \u201cIt\u2019s time to fight.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Babin\u2019s bill would limit automatic birthright citizenship to those who have at least one parent who is a citizen, permanent legal resident or lawful immigrant serving in the U.S. military.<\/p>\n Fifteen of the other 23 Texas Republicans in Congress have co-sponsored the measure<\/a>, including Rep. Keith Self of McKinney.<\/p>\n Self said the Supreme Court ruling should inspire Republicans to quickly address birthright citizenship and many other aspects of immigration and election integrity.<\/p>\n \u201cCongress needs to rise to the occasion and do whatever it takes, pass a bill first, decide if we\u2019re going to have to have a constitutional amendment, but do everything we can to actually overturn it,\u201d Self said. \u201cNow we have to move.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n