Washington, D.C. (Rajeev Sharma): US President Donald Trump has signed a fresh executive order aimed at discouraging so-called “birth tourism,” renewing his administration’s efforts to tighten eligibility for birthright citizenship in the United States.
Speaking at the White House, Trump said the existing system had been exploited by people entering the country on tourist visas with the primary intention of giving birth so their children could obtain US citizenship. He described the move as part of a broader effort to address what he called misuse of immigration laws.
Senior White House adviser Stephen Miller said the order seeks to prevent automatic citizenship benefits in specific cases and extends to certain categories of foreign nationals, including individuals allegedly associated with designated terrorist organisations and some acting on behalf of foreign governments.
The latest directive follows an earlier executive order signed by Trump that attempted to deny automatic citizenship to children born in the US to undocumented immigrants or parents holding temporary visas. That measure was blocked by federal courts, which ruled that it conflicted with the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution.
The US Supreme Court also declined to uphold the previous policy, reaffirming constitutional protections that generally grant citizenship to individuals born on American soil, with limited exceptions such as children of foreign diplomats.
The administration has argued that birthright citizenship should not apply in cases where parents are in the country unlawfully or only temporarily. Legal experts, however, have maintained that any significant change to the long-standing interpretation of the Constitution is likely to face judicial scrutiny.
Trump’s latest order is part of his wider immigration agenda, which includes stricter border enforcement, increased deportation measures and efforts to limit what the administration views as loopholes in the US immigration system. The new directive is expected to draw immediate legal challenges from immigration advocacy groups and constitutional experts.
