The fight over birthright citizenship "is just getting started" and President Donald Trump "isn't giving up on this any time soon," White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson told Newsmax on Wednesday.
Appearing on "National Report," Jackson said the administration remains committed to ending what it views as abuse of the nation's birthright citizenship laws despite the Supreme Court's recent ruling.
"American citizenship is worth so much more than a cheap plane ticket or a last-minute border crossing," Jackson told co-hosts E.D. Hill and Krysia Lenzo.
"The American people can rest assured that President Trump isn't giving up on this any time soon."
The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a broad conception of birthright citizenship, rejecting Trump's executive order declaring that children born to people who are in the U.S. illegally or temporarily are not American citizens.
Trump responded to the ruling by urging Congress to begin work immediately on legislation ending birthright citizenship, arguing the current policy is unfair to the United States.
Jackson said the administration believes the Supreme Court "fundamentally misinterpreted" the intent of the 14th Amendment, arguing it was never designed to automatically grant citizenship to children born to foreign nationals who enter the country illegally or temporarily.
She also warned that so-called birth tourism, particularly involving Chinese nationals, presents a growing national security concern.
"When you have individuals who are able to literally fly into the country just to give birth in a hospital and then fly back, their child isn't even being raised here yet. They're somehow a natural born American," Jackson said.
"That's why, in the wake of this terrible ruling from the Supreme Court, the Department of Justice has pledged to crack down on the birth tourism industry."
Jackson said the administration is pursuing multiple strategies while Congress considers longer-term legislative action.
"There are many tools in our toolbox that we can use in the interim," she said. "One of those is looking into birth tourism. Another option that, of course, we're going to be pursuing is keeping the border closed and ramping up deportations, getting people out of the country who have no legal right to be here before they can have a child that anchors them to this country."
She also pointed to Justice Samuel Alito's dissent, saying he argued the 14th Amendment was intended to confer citizenship only on those whose primary allegiance at birth is to the United States.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has acknowledged that amending the Constitution would be difficult, but Trump has continued pressing Congress to pursue legislative solutions.
Jackson said the president has repeatedly succeeded despite critics saying his priorities could not be accomplished.
"Just because someone says something might be hard or might not be possible, that means nothing to Donald Trump," she said. "He's going to get it done."
The Supreme Court's decision left unresolved the broader constitutional debate over birthright citizenship while limiting the use of nationwide injunctions against Trump's executive order, ensuring the legal battle will continue in lower courts.
GET TODAY NEWSMAX+:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America with more than 30 million people watching!
Reuters Institute reports NEWSMAX is one of the top news brands in the U.S.
You need to watch NEWSMAX today.
Get it with great shows from Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Carl Higbie, Rob Finnerty – and many more!
Find the NEWSMAX channel on your cable system – Go Here Now
BEST OFFER:
Sign up for NEWSMAX+ and get NEWSMAX, our streaming channel NEWSMAX2 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 NEWSMAX+ on your smartphone or home TV app.
Watch NEWSMAX anytime, anywhere!
Start your FREE trial now: NewsmaxPlus.com