US moves to restrict birthright citizenship for children of foreign officials

The administration of US President Donald Trump is seeking to restrict the granting of US citizenship at birth to children of foreign government officials, according to a notice issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and published in the Federal Register on September 4.

Under existing US law, children of foreign diplomats born in the United States do not automatically acquire US citizenship by birth but may register as lawful permanent residents, according to the notice, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media. 

The DHS said the same rules should apply, under Trump’s executive order signed on August 6, to children born in the US to at least one parent who is a “foreign government official,” provided neither parent is a US citizen at the time of the child’s birth.

The category includes foreign diplomats, employees of embassies and consulates, and certain personnel of international organisations, the department said. The notice is scheduled for official publication on September 9.

The new rules were initially expected to take effect on September 4. However, DHS said it would not make changes to the citizenship application process at this stage because the US District Court for the District of Maryland on September 2 temporarily suspended implementation of Trump’s executive order.

The court found that the order conflicted with a ruling by the US Supreme Court. In June, the Supreme Court ruled that another Trump executive order seeking to restrict birthright citizenship was unconstitutional.

By Sabina Mammadli