President Donald Trump signed two executive orders on Thursday, Aug. 5, to limit birthright citizenship and ban birth tourism [1], [2].
The move represents a second attempt to restrict the automatic grant of citizenship to children born in the U.S. after the Supreme Court struck down a previous effort in June 2026 [3], [4].
Signed at the White House, the new orders expand the definition of non-citizens whose children are not eligible for birthright citizenship [1], [5]. The administration said the measures are intended to curb birth tourism, the practice of traveling to the U.S. specifically to give birth so the child acquires citizenship [1], [4].
Trump said the current situation is "very unfair" [6].
The new approach is narrower than the previous attempt rejected by the high court [2]. While the first effort sought a broader end to birthright citizenship, these orders focus on specific categories of non-citizens and the intent behind entry into the country [2], [5].
Legal experts are monitoring how these orders will be implemented. The administration is targeting the automatic grant of citizenship to children born to parents who do not hold legal status or who enter the country specifically for the purpose of childbirth [1], [4].
This latest action follows a period of intense legal volatility regarding the interpretation of the 14th Amendment. The administration continues to push for a stricter interpretation of what constitutes a person "subject to the jurisdiction" of the United States [1], [2].
“President Donald Trump signed two executive orders on Thursday, Aug. 5, to limit birthright citizenship”
These executive orders signal a strategic shift from a broad challenge to birthright citizenship toward a targeted administrative restriction. By focusing on 'birth tourism' and specific non-citizen definitions, the administration is attempting to bypass the Supreme Court's June 2026 ruling while still achieving the goal of reducing the number of children who automatically receive U.S. citizenship.
