WASHINGTON — As President Donald Trump's effort to end birthright citizenship winds its way through court, a majority of the public disapproves of the push, according to a new survey.

The Pew Research Center found 56% of people surveyed disapprove of Trump's executive order on the matter, issued on Jan. 20, the first day of his second term. Another 43% approve of Trump's order.

"Most Democrats disapprove of the order, while most Republicans approve of it. Yet Democratic disapproval is more widespread and more intense than Republican approval," a Pew report on the survey published Friday. That is, 84% of Democrats and those who lean Democratic disapprove, with 68% of the Democratic total "strongly" disapproving. On the other side, 72% of Republicans or those leaning Republican approve of Trump's efforts with 42% of that total "strongly" approving.

Trump cites in the order his administration's interpretation of the 14th Amendment, saying only those born in the United States to at least one parent who is a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident are entitled to automatic U.S. citizenship. It has spawned a lawsuit by a coalition of leaders from several states who maintain the 14th Amendment grants anyone born in the United States U.S. citizenship.

"Trump's directive would mark a significant shift from how birthright citizenship has been applied for more than 150 years in the U.S.," according to Pew. Trump's push has generated split opinions among two of Utah's top officials — Gov. Spencer Cox expressed skepticism at the president's moves last month, while Attorney General Derek Brown said he backs them.

Other elements of Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration, though not all of them, are mustering support, according to Pew.

"There is widespread public support for the ramp-up of deportations. A majority of Americans also approve of an increased military presence at the U.S.-Mexico border, which is another component of Trump's executive actions," reads another Pew report from early February.

Here are additional findings from Pew, a Washington, D.C.-based research center:

• Trump's efforts to ramp up deportations of people in the United States illegally garnered 59% approval and 40% disapproval.
• The president's decision to send more military forces to the U.S.-Mexico border has 58% approval and 41% disapproval.
• Trump's plans to cut federal funding to cities and states that don't assist in federal deportation moves mustered 52% disapproval and 47% approval.
• The president's orders halting asylum applications from immigrants seeking permission to live in the United States have 55% disapproval and 44% approval.

Broadly, Republican respondents generally favor Trump's moves, while Democrats disapprove of them, according to Pew's numbers.

Utah's GOP lawmakers have generally expressed support for Trump's push to bolster deportations, focused on immigrants here illegally who have committed crimes. Utah legislators are considering several measures targeting illegal immigrants, chiefly those who have committed crimes.

On the birthright citizenship issue, Cox and Brown have expressed differing views.

Cox last month expressed skepticism at Trump's interpretation of the 14th Amendment. "I don't think that President (Joe) Biden can just magically change the Constitution, and President Trump can't either," the governor told the Deseret News. "And so if there needs to be a constitutional amendment, that's a discussion that Americans should have."

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Brown, on the other hand, signed on earlier this month to a friend-of-the-court brief along with 17 other state attorneys general to express support for Trump and his interpretation of the 14th Amendment. "Allowing virtually anyone born on American soil to claim American citizenship creates incentives for illegal immigration and exacerbates states' costs," the brief reads.

The number of immigrants in Utah illegally, let alone those born here to immigrants in the country illegally, is hard to pinpoint.

According to a Pew report from last year, Utah was home to around 110,000 immigrants here illegally as of 2022. Around 60,000 households, 5.2% of the total, had at least one family member who was here illegally. The research organization estimated that 6.3% of K-12 students in the state had at least one parent who was here illegally.

According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates for 2023, Utah's foreign-born population totaled 285,013 — 8.6% of the state's total population. That figure includes naturalized U.S. citizens, legal permanent residents as well as those here illegally and others.

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