Administration Moves to End the Indefensible Abuse of Birthright Citizenship, Says FAIR

(January 24, 2020, Washington, D.C.) —The Trump administration’s efforts to curtail the phenomenon of birth tourism is an important step in ending this blatant abuse of birthright citizenship policy, says the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). Each year, tens of thousands of foreign nationals, in the late stages of pregnancy, arrive under false pretense with the intent of giving birth in the United States in order to procure U.S. citizenship for the child, and likely for the entire family down the road.

Even worse, the gaping loopholes in our birthright citizenship policies have spawned lucrative businesses that facilitate this increasing abuse. “Shady entrepreneurs are profiting handsomely from this practice, American taxpayers are stuck with costs, and the value of U.S. citizenship is further diminished,” argued Dan Stein, president of FAIR.

“The Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, was clearly intended to guarantee that emancipated slaves would properly be recognized as U.S. citizens. It is a fundamental misapplication of this clause that the U.S.-born children of illegal aliens are granted automatic citizenship under the clause, much less the offspring of people who wander in here, under false pretenses, for no other purpose than to give birth on U.S. soil,” Stein continued.

Under the rule issued by the State Department, consular officers who issue visas to travelers will be instructed to deny visas to women whom they suspect are seeking to enter the United States in order to give birth. “Establishing the purpose of a foreign national’s request to the enter the United States on a temporary visa is precisely the function of a consular officer,” noted Stein. “Giving birth in the United States is not a valid reason for seeking a visa. Concealing the true intent of a visa request is automatically grounds for denial, and it is the job of State Department employees to make these sorts of determinations.”

The administration’s move has further exposed the so-called immigration advocacy networks’ true intent, which is erasing any meaning of what it means to be an American citizen. In an indignant Tweet, the Center for American Progress, which was closely aligned with the Obama administration, protested that the new State Department policy “is the exact opposite of a fair & humane immigration system.”

“Critics of the new rule are engaging in blatant falsehoods to defend the indefensible,” charged Stein. “This isn’t even an immigration issue. The people in question are not immigrants; they’re tourists – and they are not even being honest about why they are seeking to enter the United States. Anyone who claims that we cannot deny entry to such people, are essentially arguing that there are no legitimate grounds to deny admission to anyone, for any reason, except possibly known criminals and terrorists.

“In the absence of long overdue congressional enactment of legislation that would limit birthright citizenship to the offspring of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents, as the framers of the 14th Amendment clearly intended, the Trump administration should be commended for its efforts to curb the practice of birth tourism,” concluded Stein.

Contact: Matthew Tragesser, 202-328-7004 or mtragesser@fairus.org