At a White House signing ceremony, former President Trump issued an executive order seeking to change how the federal government treats birthright citizenship and mail-in voting. The move reflects his long-standing push to limit automatic U.S. citizenship for children born to noncitizen parents and his repeated criticism of expanded absentee and mail voting.
On birthright citizenship, the order directs federal agencies to adopt a narrower reading of the 14th Amendment and to revise internal policies accordingly, arguing that children of parents in the country unlawfully should not automatically become citizens. Legal scholars, civil-rights organizations and immigrant advocates immediately called the measure unconstitutional, citing the text of the amendment and Supreme Court precedent. Democrats and immigration advocates warned the policy could harm families and said they expect swift legal challenges.
On mail-in ballots, Trump reiterated assertions that broad absentee and mail voting raise fraud risks and erode election integrity. The order requests reviews of federal mail-voting procedures and urges Congress to tighten rules governing absentee and mail ballots. Election experts and voting-rights groups disputed claims of widespread fraud and warned that curbing mail voting could suppress turnout, particularly for voters who depend on those options.
Critics from across the political spectrum said the directives are likely to face rapid litigation and could have significant legal and practical consequences for immigration policy and voting access as upcoming elections approach.