President Donald Trump is considering banning pregnant foreign women from entering the United States following the Supreme Court’s decision striking down his attempt to end birthright citizenship.
The proposed restriction is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to curb what it describes as “birth tourism”, the practice of travelling to the US late in pregnancy so a child is born with American citizenship.
Senior White House adviser Stephen Miller said the administration would take “a hard look” at preventing heavily pregnant visitors from entering the country.
“You have to now think very carefully about who you let into your country, even on a temporary basis because of the possibility for birth tourism,” Miller said.
He argued that women arriving in the US shortly before giving birth create “a lifetime American citizen” with access to government benefits, adding, “There are a lot of things we need to have a hard look at.”
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said Trump remains “totally committed to protecting the value of natural-born American citizenship” and has directed Congress to take immediate action on the issue. She also said the Department of Justice would prioritise investigations into birth tourism schemes.
Department of Homeland Security chief Markwayne Mullin also backed possible restrictions, claiming some visitors arrive in the US during the final weeks of pregnancy to give birth before returning home. He argued the practice could pose national security concerns.
The renewed push follows Tuesday’s Supreme Court ruling, which struck down Trump’s Day One executive order denying automatic citizenship to children born in the US to parents who are in the country illegally or temporarily.
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