Donald Trump has renewed efforts to restrict birthright citizenship in the United States, weeks after the Supreme Court rejected his previous attempt to end the policy.

On Thursday, August 7th, 2026, the president signed two executive orders. One order broadens the categories of non-citizens whose children are not eligible for automatic US citizenship. This includes children born to parents who are members of foreign terrorist groups, foreign government employees, those who have tried to gain citizenship fraudulently, or residents of US territories where citizenship is not federally granted.

The second order bans birth tourism, the practice of pregnant women traveling to the US to give birth so their children automatically gain 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 said, "This should have happened years ago, but we're taking care of it now," criticizing the Supreme Court's earlier rejection of his bid to end the 150-year-old policy.

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 ruling against the Trump administration.

The first executive order states, "My Administration has guarded against the risks posed by malign foreign actors who attempt to swindle American citizens by taking advantage of the generosity of our Nation."

Sources