Vivek Ramaswamy says he will deport US-born children of illegal migrants

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy says that if he is elected president, he would deport the U.S.-born children of illegal migrants. 

"The family unit will be deported," Ramaswamy said Friday when NBC News asked him whether the deportations would include American-born children.

He reiterated his comments Sunday in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

"I favor ending birthright citizenship for those whose parents entered the country *illegally* because we shouldn’t reward those who violate the law with the intent of exploiting the citizenship rules. The Framers of the 14th Amendment never intended this," Ramaswamy wrote.

The 14th Amendment's citizenship clause states: "All 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 reversed a portion of the Supreme Court's Dred Scott v. Sandford decision, which declared that enslaved people were not U.S. citizens and therefore could not expect any government protection. The Supreme Court ruled in 1898 that the 14th Amendment confers U.S. citizenship to the children of non-citizens born in America.

Ramaswamy's hardline immigration stance comes as he is rising in the polls. With 7.6% support on average, Ramaswamy is in third place behind former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, according to FiveThirtyEight.

His stance on birthright citizenship has received support from some influential conservatives such as Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk.

Follow Madeleine Hubbard on X or Instagram.