On Thursday, August 6th, 2026, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order targeting what he described as "birth tourism," an effort to curb birthright citizenship by restricting entry for pregnant visitors who intend to give birth in the United States.

Speaking to journalists in the Oval Office, Trump said, "They've taken birthright citizenship and they've made a joke out of it." He added, "We're making adjustments because it's very unfair."

This move follows the US Supreme Court's rejection in late June of Trump's earlier attempt to limit the constitutionally granted right to birthright citizenship. Trump said the new order was a response to that ruling.

Stephen Miller, one of Trump's closest advisors, explained that the order also aims to deny birthright citizenship to children of members of "foreign terrorist organizations" and "large categories of people who lobby and act on behalf of foreign governments." Miller stated the order "ensures that large numbers of people who wrongly (would) be getting birthright citizenship will no longer be eligible for those benefits."

Last year, Trump signed another executive order declaring that children born to parents in the United States illegally or on temporary visas would not automatically become US citizens.

The order does not apply to those not subject to US jurisdiction, such as children of foreign diplomats. Under current US law, visas can already be denied if a consular officer believes the applicant is traveling primarily to give birth.

The Trump administration unsuccessfully argued that the 14th Amendment, passed after the 1861-1865 Civil War to address citizenship rights of former slaves, does not apply to children of undocumented migrants or visitors. The amendment states, "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States."

Sources