US lawmakers renew attack on China as birthright citizenship debate intensifies
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "US lawmakers renew attack on China as birthright citizenship debate intensifies")
File photo of US President Donald Trump. Photograph: (AFP)
A Republican from Texas, Brandon Gill, stated on Tuesday that foreign nationals exploited the concept of birthright citizenship, including those from adversarial nations such as China and Russia.
For the second time, US lawmakers hit out at China and birth tourism on Wednesday during hearings on birthright citizenship, a constitutional right maintained by the Supreme Court in June, still remaining under challenge from the Trump administration. Chip Roy, a Republican from Texas, stated that the demand for US citizenship for the children of China has led to unscrupulous companies helping these individuals for profit.
On Wednesday, the Judiciary hearing was asked to examine June’s birthright decision of the Supreme Court in Trump vs Barbara and explore possible legislative responses, followed by Tuesday’s House Oversight session on birth tourism.
A Republican from Texas, Brandon Gill, stated on Tuesday that foreign nationals exploited the concept of birthright citizenship, including those from adversarial nations such as China and Russia. “China is definitely an adversary to this nation [that] has worked in many ways to undermine us,” added Michael Cloud, another Texas Republican. “We could spend a whole half an hour or hours actually on that.”
Birth tourism and “anchor babies”
Mary Gay Scanlon, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, noted that allegations related to birth tourism and “anchor babies” amounted to hallucinations. “Setting aside the fact that the Republicans’ own witnesses cannot show actual proof that birth tourism happens on any meaningful or widespread basis, any congressional response certainly does not involve upending constitutional fundamentals,” she added.
According to a press release published on its website, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform stated that approximately 26,000 babies are born each year to women holding tourist visas, while roughly 70,000 births in 2023 involved women residing in the US as temporary visitors. No federal dataset currently tracks birth tourism, and the existing estimates vary considerably, suggesting the practice is uncommon.
Trending Stories
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Penn State researchers estimated that birth tourism made up less than 0.3 per cent of all US births in every year between 2014 and 2024. Data from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention shows nearly 3.6 million births were recorded in the US in 2023. Even using the Oversight Committee's own figures, births linked to temporary visitors would account for under 2 per cent of that year's total births.
The report noted that public perception often frames birth tourism as particularly associated with wealthy Asians families. However, it pointed out that Hispanic mothers actually make up the majority of birth tourists. During his second term, Trump has aimed at both legal and illegal immigration, impacting nearly every aspect of the system—from tightening visa rules for skilled workers and students to expanding ICE's presence.
On the first day back in office in 2025, Trump signed an executive order instructing federal agencies to withhold recognition of citizenship for children born in the US to parents who were undocumented or on temporary visas. However, the Supreme Court, in Trump vs Barbara, ruled 6–3 to block this executive order, affirming that children born in the US to parents who are unlawfully or temporarily present are still entitled to citizenship at birth under the 14th Amendment.
After the ruling, Trump hit out at China with a post and said, “I would like to congratulate President Xi, and the Great Country of China, on their massive Birthright Citizenship WIN! President DONALD J. TRUMP,” Trump wrote.
In a recent development, Trump signed two executive orders in August, directing officials to probe suspected birth tourism operations, considering legal action against firms for such practices and strengthening visa screening. The other order asked to increase the categories of children who are not entitled to birthright citizenship, directing federal agencies to analyse the rest of the legal restrictions.
