Virginia business owner who immigrated legally criticizes birthright citizenship

A Virginia business owner who immigrated from Trinidad in 2006 and became a U.S. citizen in 2015 said birth tourism and illegal immigration amount to a "slap in the face" to people who complete the legal process. Kris Ramsingh, owner of Dominion Custom Upholstery in Roanoke, told Fox News Digital that federal authorities required him to submit vaccine records, personal documents, a criminal background check and proof of a bank account before granting citizenship.

"When you see that people come across the border, whether it's [to] have a baby for an anchor, or come across to border and get free healthcare, [or] free school, it's really a slap in the face to the people who have worked really hard to come into this country the legal way," he said Thursday.

Personal background and business Ramsingh said he and his wife arrived with $300 and a few suitcases; the week of Independence Day also marks the anniversary of that arrival. He has lived in Roanoke for the past 20 years and later founded two additional companies, one focused on boat repairs and another on missionary work supplying water and medical aid abroad.

He described the American flag as representing "peace [and] hope" and said returning to U.S. soil after trips overseas gives him a sense of security.

Views on immigration enforcement Ramsingh rejected the idea that support for stricter enforcement equals opposition to immigration. "We just want them to go through the process of doing it legally; coming in legally," he said. He added that some deportation cases are difficult to watch but traced the situations to earlier periods of limited enforcement.