On Thursday, August 6th, 2026, President Donald Trump signed two executive orders addressing birthright citizenship and birth tourism, responding to what he described as a "very unfortunate" ruling by the Supreme Court that blocked his earlier attempt to limit automatic citizenship under the Fourteenth Amendment.

Trump stated, "We're making adjustments because it's very unfair," and criticized the practice of "building businesses around birthright citizenship," calling it "a disgrace" and asserting, "They're buying their way in, and we're not going to let it happen."

White House officials explained that the new directives rely on existing executive and immigration authorities to narrow eligibility for automatic citizenship in specific cases and to crack down on foreigners traveling to the U.S. to give birth.

White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller detailed that the first order expands the categories of individuals deemed ineligible for birthright citizenship, including "alien enemies of the United States, members of foreign terrorist organizations, and large categories of people who lobby and act on behalf of foreign governments."

Miller also described the second order as "for the first time ever in American history to ban birth tourism." This order denies visas to those seeking to enter the U.S. "to have a child, to make that child an automatic citizen," as well as to those organizing such trips.

White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf added that the orders target organized birth tourism operations through visa denials and law enforcement measures, emphasizing that the administration is using "legally validated means" that do not conflict with the Supreme Court's ruling.

These executive actions mark a new approach by the administration following the Supreme Court's rejection of Trump's previous executive order aimed at limiting automatic citizenship under the Fourteenth Amendment.

Sources