The seal of the Department of Justice (DOJ) during a news conference about safeguarding unaccompanied immigrant children at the Department of Justice headquarters on June 11, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Al Drago/Getty Images)
The Justice Department has ordered federal prosecutors to prioritize "birth tourism" cases, signaling a quiet demur to the Supreme Court’s decision.
What we know:
In guidance circulated this week, DOJ leadership told U.S. attorneys to work closely with immigration and pursue investigations into companies accused of coaching foreign nationals to hide their intentions when applying for U.S. travel visas.
A Justice Department official told employees that people who come to the United States under "false pretenses" just to give birth and give citizenship for their child could be charged criminally.
What they're saying:
McDonald wrote a memo to employees: "The Department of Justice will zealously protect the sanctity of United States citizenship by investigating and prosecuting those who fraudulently exploit our immigration system."
Birthright citizenship
The backstory:
Just hours before the memo, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Trump executive order that sought out to end birthright citizenship.
Birthright citizenship is the longstanding legal principle of the United States that "all persons born or naturalized on the United States soil automatically become U.S. citizens, regardless if their parents are U.S. citizens.
The issue has become the subject of legal and political debate recently, with many arguing the Constitution permits limiting birthright citizenship for children of certain non-citizens.
The Source: This story was written with information provided by Reuters. This story was reported from Orlando.