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Trump signs two orders
President Donald Trump signed two executive orders on Thursday aimed at tightening eligibility for birthright citizenship and targeting what the administration calls “birth tourism,” after the Supreme Court rejected his earlier attempt to curb birthright citizenship in June.
“He signed executive orders on the subject Thursday”
Trump said in the Oval Office, “We had a very unfortunate decision in the Supreme Court concerning birthright,” and Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff, said one order targets “alien enemies,” members of foreign terrorist organizations, and categories of people who lobby and act on behalf of foreign governments.
CNN reported that the second executive order focuses on “birth tourism,” while U.S. law already bans people from obtaining a visa “for the primary purpose of obtaining U.S. citizenship for a child by giving birth in the United States.”
The Supreme Court’s June 30 decision upheld birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment, with Chief Justice John Roberts writing, “We keep that promise today.”
Miller, Scharf defend
Fox News quoted Trump saying, “We're making adjustments because it's very unfair,” and it reported that White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller said the first order expands the categories of people ineligible for birthright citizenship.
Fox News also reported Miller’s claim that the second order was issued “for the first time ever in American history to ban birth tourism,” and that the administration would deny visas to people who seek to enter the United States “to have a child, to make that child an automatic citizen.”
Will Scharf, White House staff secretary, told Fox News that the orders target organized birth tourism operations through visa denials and law enforcement, arguing the administration was relying on “legally validated means” that do not conflict with the Supreme Court's ruling.
CNN reported that Trump told reporters in the White House, “We faced a very unfortunate decision from the Supreme Court regarding birthright citizenship,” and it said the Supreme Court’s June decision included a “5-justice majority” upholding the Fourteenth Amendment’s guarantee.
Court challenges and stakes
The Guardian said Trump’s Thursday directives are expected to face legal challenges, and it quoted Trump lashing out at the Supreme Court as “a very unfortunate decision in the supreme court concerning birthright.”
“Trump claimed on Thursday, without pointing at any evidence, that “hundreds of thousands””
The Guardian reported that the second order targets “birth tourism” and that Trump claimed “hundreds of thousands” of people have undertaken the practice, while it also cited the Migration Policy Institute estimate that “puts birth tourism at 22,000 to 26,000 babies born annually on US soil.”
The Hill reported that the Supreme Court struck down Trump’s earlier Day 1 executive order in late June and that Trump’s new orders are “almost certain to face legal challenges,” even as Trump said, “I think it will.”
The Hill also quoted Cody Wofsy of the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project saying, “The Supreme Court already decided this issue: Birthright citizenship is guaranteed by the Constitution,” and it reported that the administration argues the new directives rely on existing executive and immigration authorities to narrow eligibility in certain cases.
