Republican proposes bill to limit birthright citizenship in U.S.

A Republican representative has introduced a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that seeks to limit birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to parents who are not U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents, or who are in the country illegally or temporarily.

The "Birthright Citizenship Clarification Act of 2026," introduced by Rep. John McGuire III of Virginia, aims to codify into federal law restrictions similar to those previously attempted by former President Donald Trump through executive order. The bill proposes to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to establish new exceptions to the automatic acquisition of citizenship by birth.

Key provisions of the bill include defining "illegally present" and "temporarily present" to clarify when the automatic citizenship rule would not apply. The proponents argue that the legislation is necessary to close loopholes that they claim have enabled "birth tourism."

This legislative effort follows the Supreme Court's invalidation of Trump's executive order on the matter, indicating a continued political push to alter the interpretation of birthright citizenship in the United States.