Trump Takes Decisive Action to Protect American Citizenship from Birth Tourism Abuse
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President Donald Trump signed two executive orders to defend the integrity of American citizenship by restricting birthright citizenship for certain non-citizen parents and cracking down on the growing problem of birth tourism, which officials say, though small, threatens the nation’s immigration system.
President Donald Trump signed two executive orders on Thursday, taking bold steps to safeguard the value of American citizenship by limiting birthright citizenship for specific categories of non-citizen parents and strengthening enforcement against the abuse of birth tourism. The first order expands the list of non-citizens whose children are ineligible for automatic citizenship, including children of parents affiliated with foreign terrorist groups, foreign government employees, those who obtained citizenship fraudulently, or those residing in U.S. territories where citizenship is not granted by federal law. Policy analyst Colleen Putzel-Kavanaugh of the Migration Policy Institute noted the practical challenges of verifying terrorist group membership and determining the burden of proof, highlighting the complexity of defending American interests.
The second order directs the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security to tighten regulations and ramp up enforcement against operators who profit from marketing birth tourism services. The order exposes how these operators use deceptive advertising to lure foreigners with promises of citizenship, public benefits, and short-term accommodation, often failing to deliver and undermining the nation’s laws.
Birthright citizenship, or 'jus soli,' is guaranteed by the 14th Amendment and applies to nearly all persons born on U.S. soil, with limited exceptions for children of foreign diplomats, enemy combatants, and certain residents of unincorporated territories. Data from the Centers for Disease Control show that just over 9,500 babies were born to foreign-resident mothers in 2024, about 0.25% of total U.S. births. The Migration Policy Institute estimates that 20,000-26,000 births each year result from birth tourism, roughly 0.5-0.7% of all births, demonstrating a persistent loophole that needs to be addressed.
The administration has previously argued before the Supreme Court that birth tourism undermines the true intent of the 14th Amendment. Solicitor General John D. Sauer contended that unrestricted birthright citizenship fuels an exploitative industry and creates a generation of citizens with little connection to the United States. Chief Justice John Roberts questioned whether birth tourism should influence legal analysis, but Sauer rightly pointed out that the phenomenon reveals the unintended consequences of outdated laws, justifying the administration’s efforts to restore order and protect American sovereignty.