South Carolina attorney general says 14th Amendment 'misinterpreted'

The Supreme Court is requesting responses from states and groups challenging President Trump's executive order to end birthright citizenship.

About two dozen states have sued over the order. They argue it violates the 14th Amendment, which states that "all persons born or naturalized in the United States" are American citizens.

South Carolina is one of 18 states that joined a Supreme Court brief supporting the executive order.

State Attorney General Alan Wilson says he disagrees with the way the amendment has been interpreted by those wanting to block Trump's order.

"That amendment was rightfully designed to bestow citizenship on emancipated slaves, which needed to happen, but it has been misinterpreted over the last 160 years to incentivize the ridiculous notion that somebody can come to the United States in the dead of night, drop a child like an anchor, like a boat drops an anchor, and all of a sudden, they have been bestowed citizenship for henceforth evermore," Wilson said.

"That was not the intention of the framers of the 14th Amendment," he added.

Wilson also noted that he believes the nation's highest court could rule in their favor.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

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