Trump Targets Birthright Citizenship Again with New Executive Orders
In a late‑night move from the Oval Office, President Donald Trump signed two executive orders aimed at tightening the rules that grant citizenship to babies born in the United States. The first order expands the group of non‑citizen parents who would render their babies ineligible for automatic birthright citizenship, while the second bars the so‑called birth‑tourism practice—where foreign mothers come to the U.S. solely to give birth so their children become citizens.
Trump criticized the Supreme Court’s June ruling that struck down his 2025 bid to end the 14th Amendment’s birthright provision, calling the decision “a bad decision, very unfair decision.” He said the protection of American citizenship from “malign foreign actors who attempt to swindle American citizens” is vital. The orders identify specific categories of parents, including members of foreign terrorist groups, foreign government employees, and individuals who have attempted fraud to gain citizenship.
The Migration Policy Institute estimates that between 22,000 and 26,000 babies were born each year in the U.S. to parents who participated in birth‑tourism schemes. A government report from 2024 listed 9,600 births to mothers with foreign addresses. In his remarks, Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff for policy, noted that these children “gain access to welfare benefits, the voting booth, and all the other rights and privileges that belong solely to Americans.”
Legal scholars like Gabriel Chin from UC Davis School of Law point out that while the president has power to restrict travel for those intending to give birth, it remains unlikely that he can strip citizenship from a child once born, consistent with the Supreme Court’s earlier decision that reaffirmed birthright citizenship. Chin described the birth‑tourism issue as a “drop in the bucket” versus the millions of normal births in the U.S.
The administration’s new orders therefore sit at a crossroads between executive authority and constitutional precedent, sparking debate over their enforceability. With a new set of restrictions, Trump appears determined to revisit the longstanding citizenship debate that has shaped American political discourse for nearly a century.
