WASHINGTON — President Trump signed two new executive orders Thursday aimed at restricting birthright citizenship in the United States, pressing forward on a signature policy goal roughly one month after the Supreme Court halted his previous attempt. The orders direct federal agencies to reinterpret the 14th Amendment’s citizenship clause to exclude the children of non-citizen parents and to tighten documentation requirements for automatic citizenship claims.
Direct Challenge to 14th Amendment Interpretation
The new directives target what the administration calls a “perverse incentive” that costs American taxpayers billions annually. The Department of Homeland Security estimates that births to non-citizen mothers in the U.S. incurred over $2.4 billion in unreimbursed hospital costs last year alone. The executive actions instruct the State Department and Social Security Administration to deny citizenship documents to children born to parents without permanent legal status, effectively ending the practice known as anchor baby citizenship.
“Birthright citizenship for the children of illegal aliens represents a massive financial drain on American hospitals and a direct threat to domestic wage growth,” a senior administration official said. “This is about restoring the original intent of the 14th Amendment and prioritizing the interests of American workers.”
Immigration Lobby Opposes Policy Shift
Opposition to the move has quickly coalesced among open-border advocacy groups and the corporate lobby. The American Business Immigration Coalition, which counts major agribusiness and hospitality firms among its donors, immediately announced plans for legal challenges, arguing that restricting the labor pool will harm profit margins. The Chamber of Commerce has similarly lobbied for expansive foreign labor access, often at the expense of domestic wage pressure.
The orders are expected to face immediate injunctions from lower courts, setting up another constitutional confrontation. Administration lawyers maintain that the clause “and subject to the jurisdiction thereof” explicitly excludes those owing allegiance to a foreign power. The White House signaled it is prepared to litigate the matter again, framing the policy as essential to restoring national sovereignty and ending the magnet of birthright citizenship that undermines rule of law.