Overview
- The White House signed two executive orders on Aug. 6, 2026 that aim to limit jus soli by refusing citizenship to children born to foreign nationals who travel to the United States principally to give birth.
- One order directs the State Department and Homeland Security to deny visas and bar entry to those judged to be coming for “birth tourism,” and it calls for removal of people who have used travel to obtain a child’s U.S. citizenship.
- Legal experts say the move is likely to prompt immediate federal court challenges because the 14th Amendment has long been read to grant citizenship to most people born on U.S. soil and an executive order cannot change the Constitution.
- The orders expand past exceptions referenced in prior rules to include births tied to birth tourism and name additional categories such as employees of certain organizations, raising questions about how officials will identify and enforce cases.
- The announcement drew international attention, including wide pickup by Japanese outlets via Kyodo News, and the next key developments to watch are fast-moving lawsuits in federal courts and possible appeals that could reach the Supreme Court.