US President Donald Trump has signed two executive orders aimed at further restricting birthright citizenship and banning the practice of "birth tourism" within the United States. The orders were signed on Thursday in the Oval Office, following President Trump's strong criticism of a recent Supreme Court ruling on birthright citizenship.
President Trump called the Supreme Court's decision "a very unfortunate decision," stating, "We're making adjustments because it's very unfair." He argued that the Fourteenth Amendment, which guarantees birthright citizenship, was originally intended for "the babies of slaves" right after the Civil War. He criticized the current situation, saying, "People are building businesses around it … That's not the way it was supposed to work."
The Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution states: "All persons born or naturalised in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States." In June, the Supreme Court had struck down a previous executive order by Trump that sought to end birthright citizenship. Chief Justice John Roberts had affirmed at that time that the 14th Amendment's protections extend to all children born on American soil.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller elaborated on the new directives. He explained that the first executive order leverages the Supreme Court's recent ruling to expand the definition of individuals not entitled to birthright citizenship. Miller told reporters that this order applies to "alien enemies of the United States, members of foreign terrorist organisations, and large categories of people who lobby and act on behalf of foreign governments." He added that this action "ensures that large numbers of people who wrongly would be getting birthright citizenship will no longer be eligible for those benefits."
The second executive order specifically targets and bans "birth tourism," which is defined as the practice of traveling to the US on a temporary visa primarily to give birth so that the child acquires US citizenship. Miller confirmed that this order instructs consular officers to deny visas to applicants whose primary purpose for traveling to the United States is to obtain citizenship for a child.
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Md. Kazi Bijoy is a dedicated tech enthusiast and content creator with a passion for digital innovation. With years of experience in the tech industry, he specializes in breaking down complex topics into easy-to-understand guides. When he isn’t writing, he explores the latest gadgets and researches emerging trends in the digital world.