US President Donald Trump has signed two separate executive orders aimed at expanding restrictions on birthright citizenship. The regulations, announced at a signing ceremony at the White House, seek to narrow the scope of the practice regarding children born in the US automatically acquiring citizenship.
The first executive order envisions expanding the categories of people whose children born in the US will not be able to benefit directly from the right to citizenship. The second executive order aims to prevent entry into the country with temporary visas for the purpose of gaining US citizenship for children, a practice known in the public as "birth tourism."
In his statement before the signing ceremony, Trump argued that the right to birthright citizenship was regulated for a historical purpose under the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution. Trump stated, "This provision was introduced for the children of slaves. Today, people have turned it into a business. That was not its purpose."
The US President also criticized the Supreme Court, which ruled in June that birthright citizenship is under constitutional protection and decided to maintain the current practice. Describing the decision as "very unfortunate," Trump said, "This system is extremely unfair. That is why we are making the necessary regulations."
With an executive order he issued on the first day of his second presidential term, Trump had also aimed to limit the automatic acquisition of citizenship for children born in the US to people who entered the country illegally or were in the country on temporary visas.
The new executive orders have once again demonstrated the Trump administration's intention to follow a stricter line in its immigration policies. The regulations are expected to be taken to the judiciary again due to the constitutional nature of the right to birthright citizenship.
News Source: 12punto
