United States President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order aimed at tightening restrictions on birth tourism, a move that could affect Nigerians and other foreign nationals seeking to give birth in the United States.
The latest directive is part of Trump’s renewed push to limit birthright citizenship and curb what his administration describes as the abuse of America’s immigration system.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Thursday, Trump argued that some foreign nationals enter the United States on tourist visas with the sole intention of giving birth so their children can automatically obtain American citizenship.
“They’ve taken birthright citizenship and they’ve made a joke out of it,” Trump said.
The President insisted that the current system is unfair and said his administration would continue making adjustments despite previous legal setbacks.
“We’re making adjustments because it’s very unfair,” he added.
The move comes months after the US Supreme Court blocked an earlier attempt by Trump to restrict birthright citizenship.
In June, the court ruled against an executive order that sought to deny automatic US citizenship to children born to parents who were either living in the country illegally or staying on temporary visas.
The decision reaffirmed the protections provided under the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution, which states that nearly everyone born on American soil automatically becomes a US citizen.
The Supreme Court’s majority opinion, written by Chief Justice John Roberts, was supported by two conservative justices and all three liberal justices on the panel.
Trump’s latest order specifically targets what is commonly referred to as “birth tourism”—the practice of travelling to the United States primarily to give birth in order to secure US citizenship for a child.
Although US immigration laws already allow consular officers to deny visas if they believe an applicant’s primary purpose is to give birth in America, the new directive is expected to strengthen scrutiny of visa applications and tighten enforcement.
The President’s renewed effort forms part of his broader immigration agenda, which includes stricter border controls, the deportation of undocumented immigrants and changes to immigration policies affecting several countries.
Under the 14th Amendment, citizenship is granted to “all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof.”
However, the constitutional provision does not apply to children born to foreign diplomats or individuals who are not subject to US jurisdiction.
The latest order is expected to reignite legal and political debates over the scope of birthright citizenship and the limits of presidential authority to alter immigration policies through executive action.
Source: AFP.
