US President Donald Trump has said that the provision of birthright citizenship has created an entire industry of birth tourism and also referred to it as a "crazy, lunatic policy".
In his latest hardline immigration rhetoric, the US President on Tuesday expressed his intention to take the path of an executive order to deny automatic citizenship to children born to non-American parents in the US.
"This policy (birthright citizenship) has even created an entire industry. It's called birth tourism, where pregnant mothers from all over the world travel to America to make their children instant lifelong citizens with guaranteed everything," Trump told his supporters at an election rally in Columbia, Missouri.
Trump alleged that Democrats wanted to continue giving automatic birthright citizenship to every child born "even if they've been on our soil for a mere matter of seconds".
"Hundreds of thousands of children born to illegal immigrants are made automatic citizens of the United States every year because of this crazy, lunatic policy that we can end," he said amidst applause from his supporters.
"We need support, but we can do it. They're all made instantly eligible for every privilege and benefit of American citizenship. You get nothing more than they do. They're full citizens," he said.
"You don't realise what a big industry -- it's an industry. Many come from China. You'll be surprised. China now is number one. We're not talking just South America, Latin America. We're talking about China, parts of Asia. It's crazy," he said.
"Think of it. You're an enemy of our country. You're a general with war on your mind. You're a dictator who we hate and who's against us. And that dictator has his wife have a baby on American soil. Congratulations. Your son or daughter is now an American citizen. Does anybody think this makes sense?" he asked the audience.
"It's crazy. But we're getting it all worked out," he said assuring his supporters that he will work to end birthright citizenship.
Birthright citizens in turn can then bring their entire extended family into the country through chain migration. Trump wants to end chain migration too.
"You come into the country, you're like two months old, and you're going to take your brother and your sister and your mother and your father. You're going to bring them all, aunts and uncles and grandfathers, and lots of people," he said.
