Trump signed new executive orders against automatic citizenship for children of foreigners born in the USA
The move comes after the Supreme Court struck down a previous executive order by the president on the matter. Trump stated: "We had a very unfortunate decision, so we are making adjustments."
US President Donald Trump has signed two new executive orders intended to prevent the granting of automatic citizenship to certain children born in the United States. The move follows a Supreme Court ruling that struck down a previous presidential order on the matter by a six-to-three vote.
One of the orders focuses on combating "birth tourism" by visitors arriving with the intent to give birth. The second order expands the definition of individuals ineligible for birthright citizenship.
"We had a very unfortunate decision in the Supreme Court, so we are making adjustments," President Trump said during the signing ceremony in the Oval Office.
The Supreme Court ruled that the president's initial order, issued on his first day in office in 2025, was illegal and inconsistent with the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. When asked if he believes the new orders will withstand constitutional scrutiny, Trump replied: "I think so."
Combating Birth Tourism
Deputy Chief of Staff at the White House, Stephen Miller, explained that one of the orders targets commercial birth tourism. He described cases where individuals arrive in the USA under the guise of tourism to secure citizenship for their children, granting them access to welfare benefits and other rights reserved for Americans.
"The idea that people come here and pretend to be tourists, saying they want to go to Disneyland or visit a monument, but the real reason is to have a baby, gives them access to the ballot box and all the other rights and privileges that belong exclusively to Americans," Miller stated.
Expanding Ineligibility
The second order expands the list of those ineligible for birthright citizenship, specifically targeting children of foreign nationals engaged in lobbying activities for foreign governments. The president argued that the 14th Amendment, which formed the basis for striking down his previous order, was originally intended only to address the consequences of slavery.
"It was done right after the Civil War for the babies of slaves," Trump said, expressing his frustration with the current interpretation of the constitutional clause.
