Birthright Citizenship Executive Order Thwarted, DOJ Focuses on Birth Tourism

(Washington, July 1) (CNA) - Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said today that the Trump administration will step up its crackdown on so-called "birth tourism." This indicates that even though Trump's executive order restricting birthright citizenship was thwarted in the Federal Supreme Court, his administration will continue to focus on this core immigration issue.

President Trump signed an executive order on the first day of his second term, stipulating that children born in the United States to parents who are illegally residing or holding temporary visas in the United States will no longer automatically acquire U.S. citizenship.

However, the Federal Supreme Court, with a conservative majority, overturned the executive order yesterday by a 6-3 vote, upholding the existing principle of the "Citizenship Clause" of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

According to Agence France-Presse, the day after the ruling, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told reporters that the authorities will still target foreign women who intend to travel to the United States to give birth to obtain U.S. citizenship for their children.

Blanche said at a press conference: "From the Department of Justice's perspective, prosecutors and law enforcement partners will clearly focus on 'birth tourism.' This is a booming industry, and it will continue to grow after the Federal Supreme Court's ruling yesterday."

Blanche added that the federal government can use other administrative measures, such as through visa and application processes, to minimize or restrict opportunities for specific individuals to come to the United States solely to give birth and obtain citizenship.

The Trump administration previously focused on "birth tourism" when challenging birthright citizenship, especially targeting expectant parents from China.

However, experts point out that the scale of birth tourism is relatively limited compared to the more than 250,000 births annually to undocumented immigrants or temporary residents in the United States.

According to a memorandum issued by senior Justice Department official Colin McDonald, reported by Reuters, any person who obtains a visa or enters the United States under false pretenses with the intention of obtaining citizenship for their child may face criminal charges for violating laws related to visa fraud, money laundering, identity theft, and wire fraud.

McDonald wrote in the memorandum: "The Department of Justice will vigorously protect the sanctity of U.S. citizenship and investigate and prosecute those who fraudulently exploit our immigration system."

McDonald stated in the memorandum that past cases primarily focused on visa fraud, but in the future, other legal provisions will be expanded to combat this behavior. (Compiled by Tsai Chia-min) 0702

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