"Blocking Overseas Birth Tourism" Trump Administration Transition Team Considers Strengthening Visa Issuance Requirements

Drafting Executive Order to Reduce Birthright Citizenship System

President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly considering strengthening visa issuance requirements to block birth tourism.

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 9th (local time), the Trump transition team is drafting various forms of executive orders aimed at curtailing the policy of automatically granting citizenship to individuals born in the United States, regardless of their parents' legal residency status.

The executive orders are expected to focus on changing the document issuance requirements at federal agencies that verify citizenship, such as passports, in relation to the birthright citizenship system that Trump has confirmed plans to abolish. Since lawsuits are likely to be filed immediately upon the implementation of these orders, the transition team is carefully considering the scope of restrictions.

The transition team is also expected to take measures to deter pregnant women from traveling to the United States to obtain U.S. citizenship for their future children in connection with birth tourism. Strengthening tourist visa qualifications is among the options being discussed. Tourist visas are usually issued with a 10-year validity and allow a stay of about six months per entry.

Earlier, in an interview with NBC aired the previous day, Trump was asked if he still intends to abolish the birthright citizenship system, to which he replied, "Yes." During his presidential campaign, he pledged to abolish the birthright citizenship system through executive orders if elected and to ban birth tourism aimed at acquiring U.S. citizenship.

The issue lies in the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which defines all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to its jurisdiction, as U.S. citizens. This has led to the prevailing opinion that it is difficult to change the birthright citizenship system solely through executive orders, which fall under the president's authority.

Regarding this, Trump said in the interview the previous day, "We have to change it."