The State Department has reportedly proposed a rule that could make it mandatory for parents to provide proof of their own citizenship or immigration status when applying for their children’s passports.
The draft guidance provides the first detailed insight into how the State Department might enforce President Donald Trump’s August 6 executive order aimed at “birth tourism” and expanding historical exceptions to birthright citizenship, Reuters reported.
The proposed directive could deny citizenship to children whose parents are foreign government employees in the U.S., have engaged in fraudulent activities or commercial transactions to obtain citizenship, or are classified as “alien enemies.” It would also require parents or legal guardians applying for their children’s passports to submit documentation proving U.S. citizenship or lawful immigration status.
“The Department will require parental information and evidence of parental citizenship or immigration status as part of its determination whether the applicant is subject to EO 14418,” the publication reported, citing draft State Department guidance that references the executive order.
Currently, parents applying for a U.S.-born child’s passport must provide evidence of the child’s U.S. citizenship, proof of their relationship to the child and government-issued photo ID. They generally are not required to submit separate documentation proving their own citizenship or immigration status.
State Department did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comments.
Trump Renews Birthright Citizenship Push
This proposal follows Trump’s renewed push to restrict “birth tourism” and birthright citizenship through Executive Orders in early August. This came after the Supreme Court ruled June 30 that Trump’s earlier, broader attempt to restrict birthright citizenship was unconstitutional.
The order also addresses births in U.S. territories where citizenship is not conferred by federal statute, potentially opening another front in the administration’s effort to restrict birthright citizenship.
Earlier in July, Gov. Greg Abbott (R-Texas) ordered an investigation into allegations of birth tourism at Mission Regional Medical Center. The hospital was accused of marketing “BIRTH PACKAGES IN SOUTH TEXAS” to foreign nationals.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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