Trump signs orders targeting birthright citizenship

US President Donald Trump has signed two new executive orders aimed at tightening birthright citizenship rules, just weeks after the Supreme Court blocked his broader effort to end the constitutional guarantee. The orders target birth tourism and other categories of foreign nationals, escalating a years-long Republican push to restrict how citizenship is granted at birth. The White House framed the move as a crackdown on what it calls “abuse” of the system, though critics warn it could violate the 14th Amendment.

The 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, grants citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil, regardless of parents’ immigration status. Trump has long argued the provision is outdated and has vowed to challenge it through legal and executive means. His latest push comes after the Supreme Court dismissed a case in October where his administration argued birthright citizenship should not apply to children of undocumented immigrants. Legal experts say the new orders sidestep the Constitution by focusing on birth tourism and visa categories, but immigration advocates warn they could still be used to intimidate pregnant migrants and their families.

The first order directs federal agencies to deny visas to pregnant women suspected of traveling to the U.S. solely to give birth, a practice known as birth tourism. The second targets foreign nationals who enter the country under temporary visas but remain indefinitely, including those overstaying student or work visas. The White House claims these steps will “protect American taxpayers” and prevent fraud, pointing to recent crackdowns on birth tourism rings in states like California and Nevada. Immigration officials have already arrested dozens of organizers, alleging they facilitated thousands of foreign births for profit.

Legal challenges are expected within weeks. Civil rights groups, including the ACLU, have vowed to sue, arguing the orders violate the Constitution and federal law. Democrats in Congress have also condemned the move, calling it a political stunt ahead of the 2024 election. The orders do not explicitly revoke birthright citizenship but could create new layers of enforcement that discourage some migrant families from seeking medical care or registering births. The outcome may hinge on how courts interpret the administration’s authority to regulate immigration versus the plain language of the 14th Amendment—a debate that could reshape American citizenship for decades.