President Donald Trump is reportedly preparing two executive orders intended to bar U.S. citizenship for children born in the country through commercial "birth tourism." The measures could also limit citizenship for some children of foreign diplomatic staff and potentially apply to U.S. territories. A prior attempt to curtail birthright citizenship was blocked by the Supreme Court in June, and a 2020 rule already restricts use of tourist visas for the main purpose of obtaining a newborn's citizenship. Estimates of birth tourism range from roughly 20,000–25,000 mothers in 2016–2017; the U.S. had about 3.6 million births in 2025.
Trump to Sign Orders Targeting 'Birth Tourism' and Birthright Citizenship, Axios Reports
U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks at Red Rock Casino Resort Spa in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., August 5, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to sign two executive orders aimed at restricting birthright citizenship for children born in the United States as a result of commercial "birth tourism." Axios reports the measures would also seek to limit citizenship for children born to certain foreign diplomatic staff and could potentially be extended to U.S. territories.
The White House schedule showed a signing-time event at the Oval Office on Thursday; as of 4:05 p.m. (2005 GMT) the event had not yet begun, roughly an hour past the scheduled slot.
Policy Context
Limiting birthright citizenship has been a top priority for President Trump within his broader immigration agenda. A prior attempt to restrict birthright citizenship was rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court in June, after which the administration urged Congress to pass legislation addressing the issue.
There is no federal law that explicitly bans birth tourism. However, a 2020 federal regulation enacted during Trump’s first term bars using temporary tourist or business visas primarily to obtain U.S. citizenship for a newborn. People involved in organized birth tourism schemes may face prosecution for fraud or related offenses.
Numbers And Uncertainties
There are no official government statistics that count how many foreign nationals travel to the United States primarily to give birth or what the taxpayer cost might be. The Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates lower immigration levels, estimated in 2020 that about 20,000–25,000 mothers engaged in birth tourism during a year-long period between 2016 and 2017. For context, the United States recorded roughly 3.6 million births in 2025.
Reporting by Kristina Cooke, Ryan Patrick Jones and Ismail Shakil; editing by Michelle Nichols and David Ljunggren.
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