Washington: The Trump administration is preparing to tighten the process for issuing U.S. passports to children born in the country, requiring parents to provide proof of their own citizenship or immigration status under a proposed policy aimed at advancing the president’s efforts to restrict birthright citizenship.
According to a Reuters, the U.S. State Department has drafted guidance that would require parents or legal guardians applying for passports on behalf of their U.S.-born children to submit documentation establishing their citizenship or immigration status.
The proposal represents the administration’s first detailed framework for putting into practice Trump’s latest executive order targeting what it describes as “birth tourism” and expanding the circumstances under which birthright citizenship could be denied.
“President Trump has been unequivocal that this Administration will protect the meaning and value of American citizenship, full stop, and that includes making sure our passport adjudication process fully reflects that standard,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott told Reuters.
What Would Change?
Under current rules, parents applying for a passport for a minor generally have to establish their relationship with the child and provide government-issued identification.
While passport applicants already provide information about their citizenship status, parents are not routinely required to submit documentary proof of their immigration status when seeking passports for their U.S.-born children.
The proposed guidance would change that requirement.
The draft says the State Department would seek parental information along with evidence of a parent’s citizenship or immigration status when determining whether a child falls under Executive Order 14418.
Under the proposed system, parents could be asked to submit documents such as a U.S. passport or birth certificate to establish citizenship, or immigration records including an I-94 form or permanent resident card.
The information would then be used by officials to determine whether the child is entitled to US citizenship under the administration’s new interpretation of the rules.
Who Could Be Affected?
The proposed policy would target specific categories of children whose parents fall into circumstances identified by Trump’s executive order.
According to the Reuters report, citizenship could be denied to children if a parent is working for a foreign government in the United States, has obtained or sought citizenship through fraud or a commercial transaction, or is considered an “alien enemy.”
The passport changes come as Trump’s broader effort to restrict birthright citizenship continues to face legal challenges in federal courts.
Attorneys representing babies and families who could be affected by the administration’s policy have asked federal judges to block the latest order from taking effect.
One of the cases is before US District Judge Deborah Boardman in Greenbelt, Maryland, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden.
During a hearing Friday, Boardman expressed skepticism about what she described as an unprecedented presidential order. She allowed the plaintiffs to amend their lawsuit, giving the court an opportunity to consider whether the policy should be blocked.
Justice Department lawyers have opposed immediate intervention, arguing that a restraining order would be premature because federal agencies had not yet publicly outlined how the executive order would be implemented.
Trump’s Broader Birthright Citizenship Push
Restricting birthright citizenship has been a central part of Trump’s immigration agenda.
Trump’s original executive order sought to end automatic citizenship for children born in the United States unless at least one parent was a US citizen or lawful permanent resident, commonly known as a green card holder.
The policy has faced a major constitutional challenge centered on the 14th Amendment, whose Citizenship Clause has historically been interpreted as guaranteeing citizenship to most people born on US soil.
The US Supreme Court previously ruled against Trump’s attempt, with a 6-3 majority finding that the administration’s order was unlawful.
The latest passport proposal could therefore become a key mechanism through which the administration seeks to enforce its revised interpretation of who qualifies for U.S. citizenship, even as the broader legal battle continues.
