Sean Davis, CEO of the conservative media outlet The Federalist, sparked controversy by proposing the "sterilization of all foreign visitors" as a potential response to the Supreme Court's decision to uphold birthright citizenship. Davis, a prominent supporter of former President Donald Trump, outlined several extreme measures on the social media platform X following the court's 6-3 ruling that affirmed birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment, rejecting an attempt to overturn it via executive order.
Among the "ways forward" suggested by Davis were denying entry to all pregnant foreigners, denying entry to all female foreigners, and requiring sterilization of all foreign visitors before they enter the United States. He also proposed that states could cease issuing birth certificates to noncitizens and, in his most radical suggestion, called for the "Dissolution of the Union," arguing that a nation unable to control its citizenry is not a true nation.
Davis attributed these potential outcomes to unelected judges "cosplay[ing] as King Solomon" and making decisions that lead to "worse and more extreme options." His remarks came on the same day that Representative Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) introduced legislation aimed at preventing pregnant, non-U.S. citizen women from entering the country.
The suggestions from Davis were met with swift criticism. David French, a columnist for The New York Times, described the proposals as "absolute BONKERS." French questioned the logic of viewing a long-standing legal precedent, which he argued has coincided with America's rise to global prominence, as a cause for national decline necessitating the dissolution of the union.
Other critics also reacted strongly, particularly to the sterilization proposal. Social media posts highlighted the perceived extremity of such ideas, with some users linking them to a broader anti-immigrant sentiment within certain political circles and questioning the sincerity of pro-life stances when paired with such proposals. One post read, "When you hate immigrants so much that you want government run sterilization."
Former President Trump, in response to the Supreme Court's ruling, called on Congress to end birthright citizenship through legislative action rather than a constitutional amendment. He stated on Truth Social that Congress should "start TODAY to work on ending expensive and unfair to our Country, Birthright Citizenship" and pledged his "Complete and Total Support."