The U.S. Department of Justice directs federal prosecutors to prioritize investigations into alleged “birth tourism” cases following a recent Supreme Court decision. According to reporting, the directive is issued hours after the Supreme Court, in a 6–3 ruling, reaffirms a longstanding interpretation of U.S. law: nearly all children born in the United States are entitled to citizenship.
The articles link the DOJ move to the court’s decision, which clarifies that citizenship eligibility for most births in U.S. territory remains unchanged. The DOJ’s guidance instructs prosecutors to focus on potential criminal or immigration-related conduct associated with individuals accused of traveling to the U.S. primarily to obtain citizenship for a child. While the Supreme Court ruling addresses the legal right to citizenship based on birth, the DOJ directive suggests continued enforcement activity on whether other unlawful actions occurred in connection with such travel.
Both outlets frame the directive as a prosecutorial prioritization after the high court’s affirmation, rather than a change to the citizenship rule itself.
