- Laolu Akande criticized Trump’s executive order banning birthright citizenship, arguing it contradicts the U.S. Constitution’s founding principles
- The former presidential media aide highlighted the policy’s potential negative impact on Nigerians and vulnerable immigrant populations
Former presidential media aide Laolu Akande has criticized former U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order banning birthright citizenship. Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Akande expressed concerns over the implications of the policy.
The order, signed during Trump’s inauguration, aimed to end automatic citizenship for individuals born in the United States.
Akande, a former African history lecturer at New York College, argued that the move not only overreaches but also contradicts the founding principles of the U.S. Constitution.
“The issue isn’t with Trump’s broader agenda to make America great again or his focus on insularity,” he said. “The problem lies with the language and implications of his politics. Banning birthright citizenship doesn’t just affect Americans; it impacts Nigerians too, as many will be caught in this web.”
Akande, a former editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer, emphasized that this policy undermines the spirit of inclusivity championed by the U.S. founding fathers.
He urged a more balanced approach to addressing immigration and citizenship rights without marginalizing vulnerable groups.