The US State Department is reportedly considering requiring parents to provide proof of their citizenship or immigration status when applying for their children’s passports.
Citing a draft guidance, Reuters said the document provides details on how
the State Department could enforce President Donald Trump’s latest executive
order targeting what his administration calls “birth tourism” — the practice of
pregnant women travelling to the US on non-immigrant visas to give birth so
their children can obtain US citizenship.
Trump signed two executive orders last month to
scale back American birthright citizenship, a second attempt after the supreme
court shot down his previous attempt to eliminate the right.
His initial executive order would have granted automatic US
citizenship at birth only to children with
at least one parent who was an American citizen or a lawful permanent resident,
known as a green card holder.
But in a 6-3 ruling, the supreme court held that the order
was unlawful and violated the citizenship clause of the constitution’s 14th
amendment.
Trump’s new orders include a provision that broadens the
existing definitions of non-citizens.
“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14418,” the draft guidance reads.
If implemented, the proposal would require all parents or
legal guardians to provide proof of citizenship, such as a valid US passport or
birth certificate, or evidence of their immigration status, such as an I-94
form or a legal permanent residency card, when submitting a passport
application for their children.
The information would be used by the government to determine
if the child qualifies for
citizenship under the new
order.
Currently, parents whose children were born in the US only
need to prove their parentage and present photo identification during this
process.
They are also asked to check a box on the application form
indicating if they are US
citizens, but are not required to file supporting documentation.
The proposal is part of Trump’s latest effort to limit
birthright citizenship, a top priority for the president in his crackdown on
immigration.
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