Babin: President Trump Puts American Citizenship First

President Trump is protecting the meaning and value of American citizenship. It is time for Congress to finish the job and pass my Birthright Citizenship Act.

Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Trump took action this week to defend the integrity of American citizenship, signing two Executive Orders to protect birthright citizenship from abuse and put an end to birth tourism.

American citizenship is more than a legal status. It represents a sacred bond between the American people and our Nation and carries profound rights, privileges, and responsibilities. It should never be exploited by malign foreign actors or those seeking to manipulate our immigration laws for their own benefit.

President Trump’s first Executive Order builds on the Supreme Court’s June 30 decision in Trump v. Barbara by identifying categories of children of foreign nationals who are not entitled to birthright citizenship under historically recognized exceptions. The order ensures the federal government continues guarding against attempts by malign foreign actors and others to exploit American citizenship.

His second Executive Order takes direct aim at birth tourism, the practice of foreign nationals using temporary visas to enter the United States for the purpose of giving birth on American soil and obtaining U.S. citizenship for their children. The order directs the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security to use their authorities to halt this abuse of our immigration system.

For far too long, foreign nationals and birth-tourism operations have taken advantage of loopholes in our laws while draining limited consular and enforcement resources and undermining confidence in our immigration system.

President Trump is putting an end to it.

I have fought for years to restore the original meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment through my Birthright Citizenship Act, and I applaud President Trump for continuing to lead on this critical issue.

Now, Congress must do its part. Executive action is an important step, but lasting reform requires legislation. The American people deserve certainty that our citizenship laws cannot simply change from one administration to the next.

President Trump is protecting the meaning and value of American citizenship. It is time for Congress to finish the job and pass my Birthright Citizenship Act.