President Donald Trump signed an executive order in the Oval Office on Thursday, Aug. 6, intended to prevent birth tourism as part of his campaign against illegal immigration. The practice involves foreign women giving birth in the United States so their children automatically receive American citizenship.
Speaking with reporters, Trump said he wanted to make adjustments after a Supreme Court decision he described as very unfortunate. In June, the Supreme Court, which includes six conservative judges out of nine, struck down an executive order issued upon his return to power that ended birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants. Lower courts had also declared that earlier order unconstitutional.
Trump added that he believes the new order, which targets a marginal practice, will be upheld as constitutional. Stephen Miller, a senior adviser to Trump and a key architect of his anti-immigration policy, described birth tourism as one of the most serious and flagrant abuses of American law.
Expanding citizenship exclusions
Miller said the U.S. government is also expanding the categories of people excluded from birthright citizenship. The broader exclusions include members of terrorist organizations and individuals acting on behalf of foreign governments.
Specialists emphasize that birth tourism remains marginal compared to more than 250,000 annual births in the United States to undocumented immigrants or temporary residents. The principle that any child born in the country automatically becomes a U.S. citizen is protected by the 14th Amendment, which was adopted in 1868 after the Civil War to guarantee the rights of freed slaves and their descendants.
