Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff, called birthright citizenship “the biggest, costliest scam in financial history” in an interview Monday on Newsmax, just weeks ahead of a Supreme Court hearing on the issue.
Miller criticized birthright citizenship on “Carl Higbie FRONTLINE,” ahead of the court’s scheduled May hearing on President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to limit or redefine birthright citizenship.
“An illegal alien can come here nine months pregnant or on a tourist visa, nine months pregnant, have a baby. That baby is then declared an automatic citizen, which then entitles the entire family to come here and live here,” Miller said. “And every one of them can get welfare. Yes, they can get unlimited welfare. Applying as the custodian of this citizen, so-called child.”
Miller argued that the current interpretation of the 14th Amendment is being misused in ways that place a significant financial and national security burden on the United States.
He called birthright citizenship “the biggest financial rip-off of Americans in history, not to mention the fact that it is the number one magnet for illegal immigration and invasion.”
MIller said foreign governments are also exploiting the policy for espionage purposes.
“It is used by foreign governments to conduct espionage against the United States,” he said. “Now we can keep out a foreign spy who has a visa, who’s trying to get permission to board an airplane. But what happens when a foreign government uses this ridiculous birthright scam in order to create automatic citizens who then grow up as assets of a foreign government? So it’s a major national security threat.”
Miller also challenged the historical application of the 14th Amendment, arguing that its original intent has been misinterpreted.
“The 14th Amendment, the provisions in question, were ratified for the children of freed slaves,” he said. “You can go read the minutes of the debate. They were talking about the children of freed slaves after the Civil War. This was not meant to provide illegal alien children with automatic citizenship.”
He questioned whether the amendment was ever meant to apply to children born to those barred from entering the country.
“Do you really think that in the 19th century, three-quarters of states all got together to pass an amendment to say that people that Congress has forbidden from entering here can have automatic children, citizens?” Miller said.
“The idea is so far beyond even the outer limits of imagination. No human being who suggests it should be taken seriously.”
The Supreme Court’s upcoming decision is expected to clarify the scope of the 14th Amendment’s citizenship clause — a ruling that could significantly reshape immigration policy and enforcement nationwide.
GET TODAY :
is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America with more than 30 million people watching!
Reuters Institute reports is one of the top news brands in the U.S.
You need to watch today.
Get it with great shows from Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Carl Higbie, Rob Finnerty – and many more!
Find the channel on your cable system –
Sign up for and get , our streaming channel and our military channel World at War.
Find hundreds of shows, movies and specials.
Even get Jon Voight’s special series and President Trump’s comedy programs and much more!
Watch on your smartphone or home TV app.
Watch anytime, anywhere!
Start your now:
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.
Comments