Trump signs new executive orders on birthright citizenship despite court setback

U.S. President Donald Trump signed two new executive orders on Thursday aimed at further limiting birthright citizenship, marking a renewed push for his immigration crackdown following a Supreme Court ruling rejecting his previous attempt as unconstitutional. The latest directives focus on narrower categories, such as children born to individuals engaging in birth tourism, foreign government employees in the U.S., and those classified as alien enemies.

These orders may also impact individuals born in U.S. territories if Congress enacts legislation ending automatic citizenship there.

White House aide Stephen Miller announced at the signing ceremony that the orders would ban anyone from obtaining a visa for the fraudulent purpose of birth tourism, stating, "What that means is that no one in the world is anymore allowed to obtain a visa for this fraudulent purpose." The orders are anticipated to face immediate legal challenges due to their potential conflict with the Supreme Court's June 30 decision.

Trump expressed dissatisfaction with the Supreme Court's June ruling, which upheld birthright citizenship protections, describing it as an "unfortunate" and "very unfortunate" decision. He argued that the Citizenship Clause was created during a different historical context for different reasons, particularly concerning the babies of slaves. Trump claimed that modern practice contradicts the original intent of the amendment, which he believes extends citizenship to every free-born person.

During Trump's first months in office, he signed an executive order seeking to deny automatic citizenship to children born in the U.S. if neither parent was an American citizen or lawful permanent resident. However, the Supreme Court struck down this effort, reaffirming the widely accepted interpretation of the Citizenship Clause.

The clause states that "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside." While no U.S. law explicitly prohibits birth tourism, federal regulations from Trump's first term prohibit individuals from using tourist or business visas primarily to secure U.S. citizenship for a child, with those involved potentially facing fraud or related charges.