Trump signs order targeting ‘birth tourism’

On Thursday, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at addressing what he perceives as the misuse of birthright citizenship. The policy targets individuals who enter the United States under the pretense of tourism with the intent of giving birth on American soil. "They've taken birthright citizenship and made a joke out of it," Trump stated during a press conference in the Oval Office.

This new order comes in response to the US Supreme Court's 2018 ruling, which upheld the constitutional right to birthright citizenship. The court's decision, penned by Chief Justice John Roberts, was supported by two conservative justices and three liberal-leaning ones. Despite this, Trump remains determined to alter the current legal framework, emphasizing that the move is necessary due to its perceived unfairness.

Earlier this year, Trump issued an executive order that stated children born to parents in the US illegally or on temporary visas would not be automatically granted US citizenship. However, this order was met with legal challenges, with lower courts ruling that the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment guarantees citizenship for nearly all individuals born on US territory. The Supreme Court's recent decision further solidified this constitutional stance.

Trump's initiative to end birthright citizenship is part of a broader strategy to tighten immigration policies. This strategy includes plans to deport millions of undocumented migrants and remove deportation protections from nationals of over a dozen countries. The 14th Amendment, which stipulates that "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States," is central to this debate.

However, it does not apply to individuals not subject to US jurisdiction, such as the children of foreign diplomats.