The US State Department has proposed requiring proof of parental citizenship or immigration status for children’s passport applications. This initiative is part of US President Donald Trump’s efforts to curtail birthright citizenship.
A draft directive reviewed by Reuters states that parents may be required to submit documents such as US passports, birth certificates, I-94 forms, or Green Cards when applying for a child’s passport. Based on this information, the government will determine whether the child is eligible for citizenship under the executive order.
The new order primarily aims to curb “birth tourism”—traveling to the US specifically to give birth and secure citizenship for the child. Under these new guidelines, citizenship would be denied to children whose parents work for a foreign government in the US, as well as to the children of individuals involved in citizenship fraud or commercial transactions, and those classified as “foreign adversaries.”
Under Trump’s initial executive order, automatic birthright citizenship was to be granted only to children who had at least one parent who was a US citizen or a lawful permanent resident (Green Card holder).
However, the Supreme Court ruled that measure unconstitutional in a 6-3 decision. This latest order has also faced legal challenges; a federal judge in Maryland, Deborah Boardman, expressed reservations about the order and granted permission to amend the lawsuit.
Currently, parents are generally not required to submit separate proof of their citizenship when applying for a passport for a child born in the US. If implemented, this proposal would bring about a significant change to that rule.
