Trump Again Moves to Limit Birthright Citizenship Despite Supreme Court Ruling

President Donald Trump has again sought to limit birthright citizenship through an executive order, despite the U.S. Supreme Court having previously blocked a similar attempt. The order, signed Thursday, aims to curb "maternity tourism," a practice where pregnant women travel to the United States to give birth and secure U.S. citizenship for their children.

The White House asserts that the Supreme Court's ruling still allows for limitations on citizenship for children of mothers entering the U.S. under specific circumstances. These include those entering for maternity tourism, diplomatic staff, foreign terrorists, or those born in unincorporated territories like Puerto Rico. This action follows Trump's campaign pledge to restrict citizenship for the children of undocumented migrants.

Trump's administration had previously issued an order on his inauguration day for his second term, January 20, 2025, aimed at implementing more restrictive immigration policies. That order, which could have affected approximately 255,000 children annually, was invalidated by the Supreme Court on June 29. The court ruled that children born in the United States to parents present, whether legally or temporarily, fall under the jurisdiction and are therefore citizens.

Trump argues that the Fourteenth Amendment has been misinterpreted. He contends it was originally intended after the Civil War solely to grant citizenship to the children of enslaved people. The latest executive order reignites the debate over the interpretation and application of birthright citizenship in the United States.