- The Trump administration's focus on birth tourism follows a Supreme Court ruling upholding the constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship.
- Pregnant women could be banned from entering the US under plans being considered by the White House after the Supreme Court ruling.
- The potential ban would mark a renewed attempt to restrict birth tourism, a practice the Trump administration says allows foreigners to travel to the US late in pregnancy to secure citizenship for their children.
- Stephen Miller, a senior adviser to the president, said the White House would take “a hard look” at a ban on pregnant foreign women from travelling to the US.
- The White House deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security stated: “You have to now think very carefully about who you let into your country, even on a temporary basis because of the possibility for birth tourism.”
- After the Supreme Court ruling, Abigail Jackson, the White House spokesman, said Mr Trump remained “totally committed to protecting the value of natural-born American citizenship.”
- The acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, stated that federal prosecutors and law enforcement are involved in addressing birth tourism, which includes tourists and undocumented immigrants giving birth in the US.
- Donald Trump is advocating for new legislation to create exceptions to birthright citizenship for children born to parents without permanent legal status in the US.
- Todd Blanche emphasized the need for the Department of Justice to ensure that agents and the FBI focus on preventing birth tourism.
- During the Trump v Barbara case in April, the government’s lawyer D John Sauer admitted that the significance of birth tourism is uncertain.
- Markwayne Mullin, the head of the department of homeland security, suggested restrictions on pregnant visitors were under consideration, stating: “They have a child who may move back to China, raise the person in a communist regime – even though they’re a citizen of the US – and they come back over here, and in some cases, they go to universities, stealing intellectual property.”
The Trump administration is intensifying its focus on 'birth tourism' following a recent Supreme Court ruling that upheld birthright citizenship. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that federal prosecutors will target tourists and undocumented immigrants who travel to the U.S. primarily to give birth.14891011
Despite the court's backing of constitutional guarantees, the administration is exploring a potential ban on pregnant women entering the U.S. to prevent what they describe as a loophole for securing citizenship for foreign-born children. Stephen Miller, a senior adviser to the president, emphasized the need for a 'hard look' at this issue.5
The White House deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security noted the importance of scrutinizing temporary visitors due to concerns over birth tourism. Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, reiterated President Trump's commitment to protecting natural-born citizenship. Following the ruling, Trump urged Congress to take immediate action on this matter.7
While the U.S. government does not track the exact number of births to foreign visitors, estimates suggest that between 20,000 and 26,000 babies are born annually to non-resident mothers. Markwayne Mullin, head of the Department of Homeland Security, also indicated that restrictions on pregnant visitors are under consideration.1213
“The Trump administration is focusing on 'birth tourism' following a Supreme Court ruling that upheld birthright citizenship. Plans are being considered to ban pregnant women from entering the US as part of this initiative.”
The Guardian
