On August 6, 2026, President Donald Trump signed two executive orders aimed at protecting the significance and value of American citizenship. These measures continued the administration's efforts following the Supreme Court's ruling in the case of Trump v. Barbara.
The first executive order specifies categories of children born to foreign nationals who are not eligible for birthright citizenship, in accordance with historical exceptions recognized by the court. The second order delegates authority to the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security to end the practice of birth tourism.
The document underscores that American citizenship is both a privilege and a sacred bond between the people and the nation. It carries profound rights, privileges, and responsibilities.
On June 30, 2026, the Supreme Court had ruled that the Constitution extends citizenship to children born in the United States to parents for whom "extraterritorial fiction" does not apply. The administration remains committed to safeguarding the system against attempts by unscrupulous foreign actors to obtain citizenship.
These executive orders are also designed to combat birth tourism, a practice where foreign nationals exploit temporary stays to secure citizenship for their children. This often involves circumventing immigration laws and collaborating with dubious syndicates.
In a broader context, the Trump administration has already achieved significant results in immigration policy: over a 15-month period, there were no reported instances of undocumented migrants being released into the country (according to the administration's own statement). More than 3 million individuals have been deported, including those convicted of violent crimes; this figure encompasses both forced deportations (675,000 removed by ICE) and voluntary departures (approximately 2.2 million).
Additionally, the administration reformed the citizenship test, intensified visa screenings, and halted funding for benefits to over 1.4 million undocumented migrants.
To provide context: In the case of Trump v. Barbara, the court declared Trump's first executive order (EO 14160) unconstitutional, affirming the right to citizenship for children born to parents in the U.S. illegally or temporarily. The new executive orders from August 6 represent an attempt to circumvent this decision through "historical exceptions," and they are highly likely (and indeed, already are) being challenged in courts.
