WireAugust 6, 2026 at 10:01 PM
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President Trump signed two executive orders Thursday designed to curtail the practice of birth tourism and restrict automatic birthright citizenship for children of non-citizen parents on U.S. soil. The move directly addresses a long-standing policy loophole that undermines the national interest and strains public resources.
The orders challenge the prevailing interpretation of the 14th Amendment, a position that has incentivized a foreign birth tourism industry and acted as a magnet for illegal immigration. By clarifying that U.S. citizenship does not automatically extend to individuals born to parents who are neither lawful permanent residents nor citizens, the administration seeks to restore the original intent of the amendment and prioritize the integrity of American citizenship.
This reckless birthright policy has been a drain on American workers and a direct subsidy to foreign nationals who game our system. It's time to put our own citizens first.
Birth tourism, a multimillion-dollar industry, involves foreign nationals traveling to the United States explicitly to give birth so their child receives U.S. citizenship and the access to public benefits that entails. The cost of this practice is borne directly by American hospitals and taxpayers, a financial burden the executive orders aim to eliminate. A Center for Immigration Studies report previously estimated that anchor baby births cost U.S. taxpayers over $2.4 billion annually in direct hospital costs alone, a figure that does not account for long-term public education and social service expenditures.
The orders come as administrative agencies, including the State Department and DHS, are directed to align their procedures with this new, narrower interpretation of eligibility. This policy shift is a cornerstone of an immigration platform focused on serving the domestic population, enforcing the rule of law, and ensuring that immigration policy benefits, rather than exploits, American citizens. Legal challenges are anticipated from open-borders lobbying groups and corporate interests that benefit from a low-wage labor pool, but the administration signaled its resolve to defend the policy to the Supreme Court if necessary.