Donald Trump has said birthright citizenship "will be ended one way or the other" while falsely claiming the policy is not covered by the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution.

The president tweeted the remarks following widespread outrage over an interview in which he announced plans to terminate the right to citizenship for babies born on US soil to non-citizens. His comments arrived as the nation plans to send up to 15,000 active duty troops to its southern border ahead of a migrant caravan — the largest surge in US active duty military presence across the region since the Mexican Revolution.

"So-called Birthright Citizenship, which costs our Country billions of dollars and is very unfair to our citizens, will be ended one way or the other," he wrote. "It is not covered by the 14th Amendment because of the words 'subject to the jurisdiction thereof.' Many legal scholars agree..."

Nearly an hour later, the president wrote in a follow up tweet, "Don't forget the nasty term anchor babies."

"I will keep our Country safe," he added. "This case will be settled by the United States Supreme Court!"

Mr Trump is incorrect in his claims the amendment does not cover birthright citizenship, as he appears to have suggested Wednesday morning. The 14th Amendment was ratified in 1868 shortly after the US Civil War, granting citizenship to "all persons born or naturalized in the United States,” including former slaves who had just been freed.

The amendment has also been applied to immigrant children born in the US in numerous legal examples, dating as far back as 1898 in the case of United States v Wong Kim Ark.

The US Supreme Court held at that time children born to foreigners residing legally within the country “becomes at the time of his birth a citizen of the United States, by virtue of the first clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution.”

US midterm elections: the voters Show all 10 1 /10 US midterm elections: the voters US midterm elections: the voters Ross Kershey of Exton, Pennsylvania objects to President Trump's recent threat to unilaterally suspend the constitutional protection of birthright citizenship as a way to control undocumented immigrants AP US midterm elections: the voters Thomas Jakel of Eveleth Minnesota is a former miner. The economy is the most important thing to voters in his town AFP/Getty US midterm elections: the voters Jerry Mcneff of Exton, Pennsylvania intends to split his ballot between the parties for Pennsylvania's House, Senate and governor elections AP US midterm elections: the voters Jean Hoffman of Exton, Pennsylvania has concerns about the cost of her daughters' college education. She thinks that voting Republican might help extend the economy's rise AP US midterm elections: the voters Supporters attend a rally of President Trump in Rochester, Minnesota AFP/Getty US midterm elections: the voters Supporters attend a rally of President Trump in Rochester, Minnesota Reuters US midterm elections: the voters Supporter Jenny Haley and son wait in line to see a Trump Rally in Rochester, Minnesota AFP/Getty US midterm elections: the voters Dick Calef of Exton, Pennsylvania is a life-long Republican. He credits the economic gains in suburban Philadelphia to longer-term factors beyond Trump's policies, such as the growth of internet and health care companies. He's not yet sure how he will vote AP US midterm elections: the voters Markus Fasel of Mendota Heights, Minnesota attends a campaign event for Democrat Angie Craig, his favoured congressional candidate AFP/Getty US midterm elections: the voters Supporters attend a rally of President Trump in Rochester, Minnesota Reuters

The amendment was also found to protect undocumented children nearly a century later in the 1982 case Plyler v Doe, which ruled its equal protection clause applied to undocumented immigrants seeking public school admission.

Mr Trump also negated the fact that, after a portion of the Axios interview was released Tuesday, a bevy of constitutional scholars vehemently disagreed with him.

Lawmakers, legal experts and civil rights groups alike swiftly rejected the president’s claims surrounding birthright citizenship, including his threats to halt the practice via the signing of an executive order.

US law does not allow executive orders to override constitutional amendments; instead, executive orders must work within the parameters of the Constitution. When they are found to be illegal or outside the scope of the president’s executive powers, they are immediately overturned — as has happened on numerous occasions under Mr Trump.

However, with less than a week until the crucial midterm elections, it appeared Mr Trump was ratcheting up controversies surrounding immigration — an issue that helped him soar to the Oval Office in 2016.

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Besides his attacks on birthright citizenship, the president has also targeted a migrant caravan travelling north nearly 1,000 miles away from the Us-Mexico border as a key issue ahead of the November vote.

Earlier this week, the US military confirmed it was preparing send more than 5,000 active troops to the border — already manned by thousands of National Guard troops and border patrol officials — to assist in daily operations.

Meanwhile, an additional group of nearly 2,000 refugees reportedly began walking towards the US from El Salvador on Wednesday. Another group of nearly 300 migrants also left from the capital of El Salvador on Sunday towards the US border, carrying children in strollers and on their shoulders, Reuters reported.