Court Suspends Trump's 'Birth Tourism' Ban

The federal district court in Maryland has decided to temporarily suspend the implementation of President Donald Trump's executive order banning so-called birth tourism in the United States.

According to the court's ruling, the Washington administration must not take actions to enforce several key provisions of the order. Trump signed the order at the beginning of August with the aim of preventing the practice where foreign nationals specifically come to the U.S. to give birth, thereby granting their child American citizenship.

The court's decision is not final, and the case is still ongoing. The lawsuit was initiated by organizations advocating for the rights of migrants.

The Maryland federal district court found that the aforementioned order from the American leader contradicts a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court. The country’s highest court had deemed unconstitutional another of Trump’s executive orders in June, which also sought to limit birthright citizenship.

The American leader signed that document on January 20, 2025, after his inauguration. It directed public agencies to deny citizenship to children born in the U.S. if their parents are there illegally, as well as in cases where the newborn’s mother entered the country on a temporary basis, including under a visa waiver program or through student, work, or tourist visas, and if the father is not a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident.

The constitutional amendment regarding birthright citizenship was adopted in the U.S. after the Civil War (1861-1865), thereby overturning the Supreme Court's 1857 decision that denied citizenship rights to African Americans.