US President Donald Trump has signed two new executive orders aimed at stopping commercial “birth tourism” and limiting who can receive automatic US citizenship at birth. The move comes just weeks after the US Supreme Court rejected a broader attempt by his administration to end birthright citizenship.
Speaking from the Oval Office alongside White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, Trump said the new measures were necessary changes following the Supreme Court’s June 30 ruling, which he described as “very unfortunate.”
New Focus on Commercial Birth Tourism
The first executive order targets commercial birth tourism, a practice where foreign nationals travel to the United States mainly to give birth so their child automatically becomes a US citizen.
Under the new order, US authorities will deny or revoke visas of people found to be travelling for this purpose. According to the White House, the action is mainly aimed at organised businesses and agencies that promote and sell birth tourism packages by promising citizenship benefits for newborns.
Officials said the administration wants to stop the misuse of the immigration system by commercial operators that profit from such services.
New Categories Excluded From Automatic Citizenship Documents
The second executive order expands the list of people whose children may not receive automatic US citizenship documents at birth.
According to the new guidelines, the restrictions will apply to children born under certain circumstances, including:
Parents who travelled to the US through commercial birth tourism arrangements.
Children of foreign government officials.
Children of foreign lobbyists.
Children linked to members of groups identified by the government as hostile.
Babies born in certain US territories where citizenship is not automatically guaranteed under existing law.
The administration says these changes are intended to prevent abuse of birthright citizenship and tighten existing immigration rules.
Trump’s View on the 14th Amendment
While announcing the new measures, Trump argued that the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution has been interpreted too broadly.
The amendment, adopted in 1868 after the American Civil War, guarantees citizenship to people born in the United States. Trump claimed it was originally created to protect the children of formerly enslaved people and said it is now being exploited through commercial birth tourism.
His administration maintains that the latest executive orders are an effort to address that issue without completely ending birthright citizenship.
What It Means for Indians Living in the US
The new executive orders are not expected to affect the large number of Indian professionals, students and families legally living in the United States. This includes:
H-1B visa holders working in the US.
Indian professionals waiting for employment-based green cards.
International students studying at American universities.
Other legally residing temporary visa holders.
Children born in the US to these families will continue to receive birthright citizenship under the existing constitutional framework because the executive orders mainly target commercial birth tourism and certain specific legal categories.
However, immigration lawyers have warned that the government’s use of the term “commercial transactions” could lead to closer scrutiny of documents in some cases. This may result in additional paperwork, more questions during visa renewals, or delays in processing documents for newborn children.
Legal Challenges Expected
The executive orders are already facing strong opposition from civil rights organisations and immigration advocacy groups.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and several other legal groups have announced plans to challenge the measures in federal court, arguing that the President cannot change constitutional rights through executive orders.
Constitutional experts have also pointed out that birthright citizenship is protected by the 14th Amendment. They say changing that right would require either a constitutional amendment approved by three-fourths of US states or a major change in interpretation by the US Supreme Court.
Supreme Court Ruling Set the Stage
The latest executive actions come after the US Supreme Court blocked the Trump administration’s earlier and much broader effort to end birthright citizenship.
Instead of attempting to remove birthright citizenship entirely, the administration has now introduced more targeted measures focusing on commercial birth tourism and specific categories of individuals.
While the White House says the new orders are designed to protect the integrity of the immigration system, legal experts believe the measures are likely to face lengthy court battles before their full impact becomes clear.
Also Read: Applying For A US Visa? Incomplete Applications Can Now Be Rejected https://www.vibesofindia.com/us-tightens-immigration-rules-incomplete-visa-green-card-applications-can-be-denied/
