A major change could be coming for parents applying for US passports for their children.
The Donald Trump administration is reportedly considering a new rule that would require parents to prove their own US citizenship or immigration status when applying for a passport for their US-born children.
The proposal is part of the administration’s broader effort to restrict birthright citizenship in the United States.
What Could Change Under the New Rule?
At present, parents applying for a US passport for their children must prove their relationship with the child and provide government-issued identification.
Parents also provide information about their citizenship status on the application.
However, they are generally not required to submit documents proving their immigration status.
The proposed change could make that proof mandatory.
Parents or legal guardians may have to submit documents showing their US citizenship or legal immigration status along with the child’s passport application.
For example, US citizens could be asked to provide documents such as a US passport or birth certificate.
Non-citizen parents could be required to provide documents such as an I-94 record or permanent resident card.
The government would use this information to determine whether the child qualifies for US citizenship under the new executive order.
Why Is the Trump Administration Making This Change?
The proposal is linked to Trump’s efforts to limit what his administration calls “birth tourism” and change how birthright citizenship is applied.
Under the proposed framework, citizenship could be denied in certain situations, including cases involving a parent who works for a foreign government in the US, is involved in fraud or certain commercial arrangements to obtain citizenship, or is classified as an “alien enemy.”
However, the proposal is facing a major legal challenge.
Several lawsuits have been filed over Trump’s attempt to restrict birthright citizenship, with lawyers representing affected children asking federal courts to block the policy.
Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Fight Continues
This is not Trump’s first attempt to change birthright citizenship rules.
His earlier executive order sought to limit automatic citizenship for children born in the US unless at least one parent was a US citizen or lawful permanent resident, commonly known as a green card holder.
The US Supreme Court previously ruled against that attempt, with a 6-3 decision finding that the order violated the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment.
The latest passport proposal therefore comes as part of a much larger legal and political battle over who qualifies for US citizenship at birth.
If implemented, the new passport requirements could add another layer of documentation for parents applying for passports for their children.
