Here's a fun new wrinkle in the ongoing birthright citizenship saga: the State Department is reportedly considering a rule that would require parents to prove their own citizenship or immigration status when applying for their kids' passports.
According to Reuters, the draft guidance offers the first detailed look at how the State Department might enforce President Donald Trump's August 6 executive order targeting "birth tourism" and expanding historical exceptions to birthright citizenship.
Under the proposed directive, children could be denied citizenship if their parents are foreign government employees in the U.S., have engaged in fraudulent activities or commercial transactions to obtain citizenship, or are classified as "alien enemies." Parents or legal guardians applying for their children's passports would also need to submit documentation proving their own U.S. citizenship or lawful immigration status.
"The Department will require parental information and evidence of parental citizenship or immigration status as part of its determination whether the applicant is subject to EO 14418," the publication reported, citing draft State Department guidance that references the executive order.
Right now, parents applying for a U.S.-born child's passport must provide evidence of the child's citizenship, proof of their relationship to the child, and a government-issued photo ID. They generally don't have to submit separate documentation proving their own citizenship or immigration status. So this would be a notable shift.
The State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
