Influx of ‘birth tourism’ from Asia prompts Vitter bill to reform statute

(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Sens. David Vitter (R-LA), Rand Paul (R-KY), Mike Lee (R-UT), and Jerry Moran (R-KS) this week introduced legislation that amends the Immigration and Nationality Act in order to limit birthright citizenship to children born in the U.S. to at least one parent who is a U.S. citizen, legal resident alien or active member of the U.S. armed forces.

“America’s illegal immigration problem is clearly out of control. Recent news reports have highlighted the growing popularity of ‘birth tourism,’ and new websites are advertising birth packages for pregnant foreign visitors who want to give birth in the United States to ensure automatic citizenship for their newborn children,” said Sen. Vitter. “This practice is not mandated by federal law or the Constitution but is based on what I believe is a fundamental misunderstanding of the 14^th Amendment.  This policy is incompatible with both the text and the legislative history of the citizenship clause.”

Read more: Vitter Introduces Bill to Limit Birthright Citizenship