Donald Trump has renewed efforts to restrict birthright citizenship in the United States by signing two executive orders on Thursday, August 7, 2026. These orders come weeks after the Supreme Court rejected his earlier attempt to eliminate the 150-year-old policy granting automatic citizenship to anyone born on US soil.

One executive order expands the definition of non-citizens whose children are not eligible for birthright citizenship. It prohibits automatic citizenship for babies born in the US to two non-citizen parents if one parent is a member of a foreign terrorist group, a foreign government employee, has attempted to gain citizenship fraudulently, or resides in US territories where citizenship is not federally granted.

The second order bans "birth tourism," a practice where pregnant women travel to the US to give birth so their children automatically receive citizenship. The Migration Policy Institute estimates that between 22,000 and 26,000 babies are born annually in the US through birth tourism.

Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump criticized the Supreme Court's decision, stating, "This should have happened years ago, but we're taking care of it now." He added that his administration has guarded against "malign foreign actors who attempt to swindle American citizens by taking advantage of the generosity of our Nation."

Stephen Miller, homeland security advisor and White House deputy chief of staff for policy, explained that the president has authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act to ban birth tourism by setting exceptions on who can enter the country. However, Miller acknowledged that once a child is born in the US, the president lacks the power to revoke that child's citizenship, a point settled by the Supreme Court's recent ruling against the administration.

These executive orders mark a continued push by the Trump administration to redefine aspects of US citizenship and immigration policy.

Sources