Mexico, much like the United States, extends birthright citizenship to all children born within its borders, a practice that stands in contrast to President Donald Trump's assertions that the U.S. is the sole nation with such a policy. Trump, who signed an order in January 2025 to deny birthright citizenship to children of undocumented immigrants, has stated that the U.S. is "STUPID enough to allow ‘Birthright’ Citizenship!"
In reality, approximately three dozen countries, predominantly in the Americas, guarantee automatic citizenship to children born on their territory. This group includes nations such as Canada, Honduras, Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, and Mexico.
The concept of birthright citizenship in the U.S. has historical roots, enshrined in the 14th Amendment after the Civil War to ensure citizenship for formerly enslaved people. Legal historians suggest the practice dates back to the 17th and 18th centuries when European rulers encouraged migration to colonial America, with settlers maintaining legal ties to their homelands through birthright citizenship.
In Mexico, this principle allows individuals like Vivianne Petit Frere, a Haitian immigrant living in Tijuana, to see her granddaughter, Alexca, automatically become a Mexican citizen. Petit Frere, who fled Haiti in 2019 and eventually settled in Mexico, found opportunities and a sense of belonging there. Her restaurant, Lakou Lakay, which means "home" in Haitian Creole, symbolizes her family's integration into Mexican society. Her granddaughter's birth in Mexico offers her greater opportunities and easier travel, particularly compared to the difficulties associated with a Haitian passport.
Mexico also utilizes the birthright citizenship law to offer pathways to legal status for parents of its citizens. Petit Frere noted that many Haitian parents in Tijuana who initially lacked legal status have been able to obtain permanent residency in Mexico because their children were born there and are thus Mexican citizens. This has allowed families to remain together.
The practice of denying birthright citizenship has occurred elsewhere. In 2007, the Dominican Electoral Council officially ordered the denial of citizenship to children born to parents without legal status. This was later applied retroactively, leaving tens of thousands stateless despite a corrective law passed in 2014, according to the Center for Migration Studies of New York. The current law still leaves the next generation vulnerable to deportation.
Petit Frere, now a community organizer advocating for the Haitian migrant community, hopes to pursue further education in international migration. She believes that limiting birthright citizenship, as Trump has sought to do, might stem from "jealousy."