President Trump signed two executive orders on Thursday aimed at protecting the value of American citizenship and shutting down birth tourism.
The first order targets foreigners who enter the United States on temporary visas specifically to give birth so their child can claim U.S. citizenship. It calls out operators who advertise these schemes, coach people to lie on visa applications, and profit from the practice. State and Homeland Security are directed to deny visas, revoke existing ones, block entry, and remove people involved in birth tourism.
The second order builds on a recent Supreme Court decision and instructs federal agencies not to recognize U.S. citizenship for certain children born in the country when neither parent is a citizen. This includes cases where a parent is linked to a terrorist group, works for a foreign government, or paid to arrange a birth in the United States to obtain birthright citizenship.
Together, the orders make clear that temporary visitors cannot use short-term visas to lock in permanent citizenship benefits for their children, and that agencies must stop treating those birthright citizenship claims as automatic.
Read the Order on Birth Tourism
Read the Order on Protecting American Citizenship
