President Donald Trump signed two executive orders on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, to limit birthright citizenship and ban birth tourism [1].
These orders represent a renewed effort to restrict citizenship granted by birth in the U.S. after the Supreme Court blocked a broader attempt earlier this year. The move signals a continued administration push to alter long-standing interpretations of the 14th Amendment.
The new measures expand the definition of individuals who are ineligible for birthright citizenship [1]. Additionally, the orders specifically target and ban "birth tourism," a practice where foreign nationals travel to the U.S. to give birth so their children can acquire citizenship [1].
This action follows a significant legal setback for the administration. On June 30, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled that a previous, more expansive effort to end birthright citizenship was unconstitutional [2].
A White House spokesperson said, "The orders expand the definition of people who are ineligible for birthright citizenship and bans 'birth tourism'" [1].
The administration is now pursuing a narrower legal path to achieve its goals. By focusing on specific categories of ineligibility and the act of birth tourism, the White House aims to bypass the constitutional hurdles that invalidated the June ruling [2].
The orders were signed at the White House in Washington, D.C. [1].
“President Donald Trump signed two executive orders on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, to limit birthright citizenship.”
By shifting from a broad challenge to a more targeted restriction, the administration is testing the legal boundaries of the 14th Amendment. While the Supreme Court's June 30 ruling established a limit on executive power regarding citizenship, these new orders attempt to identify specific loopholes, such as birth tourism, that may survive judicial review.
