WASHINGTON, DC – President Donald Trump has issued another two executive orders on Thursday following a Supreme Court decision knocking down his earlier order to end birthright citizenship.
Both of the new orders deal with birthright citizenship to some extent, with one pushing to end “birth tourism,” and the other targeting those whose parents aren’t legal citizens and meet other criteria.
You can find a summary of both orders below:
Executive Order — Ending Birth Tourism
The executive order directs the State Department and DHS to crack down on “birth tourism,” defined as entering the U.S. on a nonimmigrant visa primarily to give birth.
The order argues this kind of travel is unfair and can strain the system, so it tells federal officials to look more closely for it and block or punish people and businesses that help arrange it.
“Participants in birth tourism schemes abuse (visa) categories to establish a permanent foothold in the United States by securing the advantage of citizenship for their children and then potentially for themselves,” the order reads.
As such, the order includes the following changes:
- Updating Rules: Directs State Department and DHS to update rules to carry out the policy of preventing misuse of nonimmigrant visa categories for birth tourism.
- Authorizes actions that may include:
- Preventing entry or denying visas/travel authorization to people seeking to engage in birth tourism.
- Revoking visas/travel authorization and permanently barring entry for people who enter or attempt to enter for birth tourism.
- Denying entry, removing individuals who previously engaged in or plan to engage in birth tourism.
- Taking action against entities/organizations/individuals (inside or outside the U.S.) that facilitate or enable birth tourism.
- Record Provisions: Requires other agencies to provide records/information needed for State and DHS to implement the order (subject to law).
- Creates exemptions: Federal officials may exempt individuals on humanitarian grounds or when entry is deemed in the national interest.
Executive Order — American Citizenship
This order establishes a national policy that no executive agencies should issue or accept documents that recognize U.S. citizenship for those without citizen parents who also meet one of the following criteria:
- Either parent is an “alien enemy,” which includes members of designated foreign terrorist organizations
- Either parent is a foreign government employee, which includes:
- ambassadors
- those employed by foreign embassies or consulates who are nationals of that foreign country
- those employed by a foreign government in an official capacity
- those employed by an international organization that possess international-organization immunity
- Either parent engaged in a commercial transaction or fraudulent activity to purchase or access birthright citizenship for the person in question, including:
- Birthright Tourism: When the parent(s) engage in a commercial transaction to ensure the person’s mother is present in the U.S. to give birth
- Surrogacy: When the parent(s) engage in a commercial transaction with a surrogate present in the U.S. to give birth