Trump Signs Executive Orders Targeting Birthright Citizenship, ‘Birth Tourism’
U.S. President Donald Trump has signed two new executive orders aimed at restricting birthright citizenship and cracking down on so-called “birth tourism,” renewing one of the most contentious elements of his administration’s immigration agenda despite a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling rejecting an earlier attempt to curtail the constitutional right.
The first executive order seeks to narrow the categories of people eligible for automatic U.S. citizenship at birth. According to the White House, the measure targets specific future cases, including children born to foreign nationals who allegedly entered the United States through fraudulent “birth tourism” schemes, as well as certain other narrowly defined categories. The second order directs the Departments of State and Homeland Security to intensify efforts to identify and dismantle commercial networks that facilitate birth tourism.
The move follows a June 2026 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that Trump’s earlier executive order limiting birthright citizenship violated the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees citizenship to nearly everyone born on American soil. The administration argues the new orders are more narrowly tailored and designed to fit within exceptions recognized under existing law.
Birth tourism refers to the practice of foreign nationals travelling to the United States, often on temporary visas, to give birth so their children automatically acquire U.S. citizenship. The Trump administration has argued that the practice exploits immigration laws and has pledged to prosecute organisers involved in fraudulent visa applications and related offences.
The executive orders are expected to face immediate legal challenges from immigration advocates and constitutional scholars, who contend that the 14th Amendment broadly guarantees birthright citizenship regardless of a parent’s immigration status. Several legal experts have questioned whether a president can alter constitutional citizenship rights through executive action alone.
The latest actions underscore Trump’s continued focus on immigration enforcement during his second term and are likely to reignite political and legal debate over the scope of birthright citizenship in the United States.
