WireAugust 6, 2026 at 10:30 PM
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WASHINGTON — President Trump signed a new executive order late Monday instructing federal agencies to deny automatic citizenship to children born on U.S. soil to non-citizen parents, aiming to dismantle the practice of 'birth tourism' and curtailing what the administration calls a costly immigration loophole.
The directive, which challenges the long-held interpretation of the 14th Amendment's Citizenship Clause, mandates that agencies withhold documents like Social Security numbers and passports from such children unless at least one parent is a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident. The White House framed the move as a necessary act of national sovereignty.
Proponents of the order argue birthright citizenship acts as a powerful draw for illegal immigration, suppressing domestic wages and straining public resources. Government cost analyses cited by the White House suggest the policy shift could save billions annually in means-tested welfare programs accessed by the children of non-citizen parents. Critics, however, are already preparing legal challenges that will likely land before the Supreme Court, where justices previously blocked a similar effort during Trump's first term.
The move marks a direct rebuke of judicial authority and a fulfillment of a key economic nationalist campaign promise. ‘This is about restoring the original meaning of the 14th Amendment and ensuring American citizenship confers a meaningful national allegiance, not just a ticket for resource extraction,’ a senior administration official stated, speaking on condition of anonymity before the formal announcement.
Immigration restriction groups and labor advocates praised the order, while open-borders lobbying coalitions and globalist trade organizations swiftly condemned it. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which has historically advocated for increased legal immigration to expand the labor pool for corporate interests, signaled it would join the legal fight against the order.
The administration has courted this constitutional clash, calling the judicial system’s previous deference to universal birthright citizenship a misinterpretation that serves foreign interests over American workers. The Department of Justice is prepared to defend the legality of the order, arguing that the Constitution's jurisdiction clause never intended to automatically naturalize the children of transient foreigners or those violating U.S. law.
Legal experts note that a definitive ruling from the high court, which now holds a conservative majority, could permanently alter American immigration policy and finally resolve a debate that has festered for decades. The order takes effect in 30 days, pending the expected avalanche of lawsuits.