Yahoo News Explains: Can Trump do away with birthright citizenship?

President Trump said he’s preparing an executive order to end birthright citizenship in the U.S. In an interview with Axios, Trump said he wants to end birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to noncitizens.

“It’s in the process. It’ll happen with an executive order,” he said.

The president believed he would need to work with Congress to change the 14th Amendment until White House counsel advised him that he could do it with an executive order.

“We’re the only country in the world where a person comes in and has a baby, and the baby is essentially a citizen of the United States for 85 years with all of those benefits,” Trump said.

Several countries, including Canada, have similar policies.

Previous executive orders by the president, such as the Muslim ban, were challenged in court, and this one would likely be as well.

Many constitutional experts are questioning whether Trump could limit a constitutional amendment without Congress. But Trump said White House lawyers are reviewing his proposal.

Birthright citizenship means that any child born in the U.S. automatically becomes a citizen.

According to the 14th Amendment, which was added to the Constitution 150 years ago, “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.”

Following the Civil War, descendants of slaves were not considered U.S. citizens. But in 1866, Congress passed the 14th Amendment, extending citizenship to anyone born in the U.S.

On the campaign trail, Trump frequently spoke of ending birthright citizenship. “The birthright citizenship, the anchor baby, birthright citizenship — it’s over. Not gonna happen,” he said in 2015.

Trump has also been vocal about halting the migrant caravan heading toward the southern border of the U.S., saying he’s sending 5,000 troops to the border to stop it.

Related: Yahoo News Explains: Fact-checking 5 of Trump’s claims on migrants

With the midterms a week away, immigration issues appear to be at the forefront.