Trump signs new executive orders seeking to limit US birthright citizenship
United States President Donald Trump has signed two executive orders seeking to limit birthright citizenship, weeks after the Supreme Court upheld the practice as protected under the Constitution.
The orders signed on Thursday were far narrower than Trump’s previous attempt to restrict the practice, which confers citizenship to nearly all children born on US soil.
One of the orders seeks to expand a narrow exception to birthright citizenship, which bars US citizenship from being conferred to the babies of foreign diplomats or invading forces.
Trump’s expansion would also exclude the children of alleged “terrorists”, people deemed to be attempting to “purchase” citizenship and certain people born in US territories.
The second order calls on the secretary of state and the secretary of homeland security to halt so-called “birth tourism”, the practice of mothers travelling to the US for the sole purpose of giving birth.
Like Trump’s earlier attempt, the new executive orders are expected to face legal challenges.
Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump denounced the Supreme Court for making a “very unfortunate decision” in striking down his initial effort to limit birthright citizenship.
“They’ve taken birthright citizenship and they’ve made a joke out of it,” said Trump, adding that his administration is “making adjustments” to its approach.
