Sponsors (86)
The bill clarifies and guarantees birthright citizenship for children of specified parental statuses (citizens, lawful permanent residents, and certain service members), improving certainty for many families while narrowing eligibility in ways that could leave other U.S.-born children without citizenship, impose economic costs, and create new administrative and legal burdens.
Children born in the U.S. to at least one U.S. citizen, to lawful permanent residents, or to service members with lawful immigration status serving in the U.S. armed forces will be explicitly covered by birthright citizenship, reducing legal uncertainty and protecting those children's citizenship status.
U.S.-born children whose parents do not meet the bill's specified statuses could be denied automatic birthright citizenship, risking statelessness or loss of core rights and long-term legal vulnerability for those children.
Excluding some U.S.-born children from automatic citizenship could impose economic costs on affected families and on taxpayers if those children require alternative immigration relief or lose access to benefits tied to citizenship.
Federal agencies (DHS/USCIS) may face increased administrative burdens and litigation to determine parental status at birth and adjudicate citizenship claims, diverting resources and creating implementation complexity.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Narrows birthright citizenship by defining 'subject to the jurisdiction' so U.S.-born persons are citizens at birth only if one parent is a U.S. citizen/national, a lawful permanent resident residing in the U.S., or a noncitizen on active military duty.
Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to redefine who is "subject to the jurisdiction" of the United States for purposes of birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment. Under the change, a person born in the United States is a citizen at birth only if at least one parent is a U.S. citizen or national, a lawful permanent resident whose residence is in the United States, or a noncitizen with lawful immigration status who is on active duty in the U.S. armed forces. The change does not affect the citizenship or nationality of people born before the law takes effect.
Introduced January 21, 2025 by Brian Babin · Last progress January 21, 2025