US President Donald Trump has signed two executive orders in a second attempt to scale back birthright citizenship in the United States.
The move comes weeks after the Supreme Court struck down his previous attempt to eliminate the right.
The executive orders, signed on Thursday, include one that expands the existing definition of non-citizens whose children are not eligible for birthright citizenship, while the second bans what the Trump administration calls “birth tourism” — the practice of pregnant women travelling to the US on non-immigrant visas to give birth so their babies can obtain US citizenship.
The first order restricts birthright citizenship for children born in the US to certain legal foreign residents, including diplomats and employees of international organisations.
The order could also affect people born in US territories if Congress enacts a proposed law ending automatic citizenship there. Birthright citizenship for people born in US territories, such as Puerto Rico, is codified by federal statute.
Ending birth tourism has been a priority of the Trump administration since Trump returned to office in January. Although the US has repeatedly warned against the practice, the second executive order seeks to formalise the ban.
According to the White House, birth tourism also includes any effort by a foreign national to facilitate another foreigner’s entry into the US for the purpose of giving birth on American soil.
The executive order empowers the secretary of state to enforce measures aimed at preventing birth tourism, including imposing permanent entry bans on offenders.
> “This should have happened years ago, but we’re taking care of it now,” Trump said.
On June 30, the US Supreme Court struck down Trump’s previous executive order seeking to limit birthright citizenship.
In a 6–3 ruling, the court held that the US Constitution guarantees citizenship at birth to children born in the country, including those whose parents are undocumented immigrants or are residing in the United States temporarily.
Trump said the judges he appointed who voted against him were “stupid people” and, on Thursday, described the court’s ruling as a “very unfortunate decision.”
The president’s new orders are likely to face fresh legal challenges.
