Trump Signs Executive Orders Restricting Birthright Citizenship and Banning Birth Tourism

U.S. President Donald Trump signed two executive orders targeting birthright citizenship and banning "birth tourism," challenging a recent Supreme Court ruling that upheld the 14th Amendment's protections. Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump criticized the high court's decision, calling it an "unfortunate decision" and arguing that the constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship was originally intended for the children of freed slaves following the Civil War rather than modern practices. The first executive order relies on the Supreme Court's recent ruling to broaden the categories of individuals deemed ineligible for automatic citizenship at birth. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller stated that the order applies to alien enemies of the United States, members of foreign terrorist organizations, individuals lobbying or acting on behalf of foreign governments, and certain children of foreign government employees or those born in territories where citizenship is not conferred by federal statute. The second executive order explicitly bans "birth tourism," targeting temporary visa applicants whose primary purpose for traveling to the United States is to give birth so their child acquires automatic citizenship. The directive instructs U.S. consular officers to deny visas to applicants suspected of engaging in this practice and directs federal agencies to crack down on businesses built around it. The actions follow a Supreme Court ruling in June that struck down a previous, more sweeping executive order by the administration attempting to end birthright citizenship, with Chief Justice John Roberts affirming that the 14th Amendment guarantees citizenship to every free-born person on American soil, with narrow historical exceptions. Legal experts and civil ri