President Donald Trump issued two executive orders Thursday aimed at ending birth tourism and restricting birthright citizenship, according to White House officials.
The president signed the orders in front of reporters at the White House with top aide Stephen Miller by his side. Miller explained that the first order would expand definitions of individuals ineligible for birthright citizenship following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that maintained the policy. “Those who are newly excluded from birthright citizenship include ‘alien enemies of the United States, members of foreign terrorist organizations, and large categories of people who lobby and act on behalf of foreign governments,'” Miller stated.
The second order bans birth tourism entirely for the first time in American history. Miller described how individuals often come to the U.S. under false pretenses—such as visiting Disneyland or national parks—to have children who would then become automatic U.S. citizens. “By signing this order, we are ending the practice of birth tourism,” Miller said. “What that means is that no one in the world is anymore allowed to obtain a visa for this fraudulent purpose.”
Trump criticized the Supreme Court’s decision on birthright citizenship, stating he believed they would win but described it as a “very unfair decision” that has harmed the country. Aaron Reichlin-Melnick of the American Immigration Council called the new orders “far less sweeping than the original, but like the first order, seemingly violates the Constitution.” He added that the orders aim to deny citizenship to children born to parents where one parent falls within the new categories, potentially violating the 14th Amendment.
Miller described the executive orders as among the top three decisions the president has made to safeguard American citizenship.
