Trump signs executive order blocking birthright citizenship for 'birth tourism' babies

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to deny American citizenship to babies born in the United States through so-called "birth tourism."

Trump held a signing ceremony at the White House, putting his name to the order. According to online news outlet Axios, the order targets children born to women who entered the country by misrepresenting their purpose of travel in order to give birth on US soil.

The order also applies to children born in the United States to foreign diplomatic staff serving on behalf of their governments.

Also covered are children born on US soil or US territories to individuals classified as nationals of adversarial countries, including members of organizations designated as terrorist groups by federal authorities.

Axios estimated that the number of children born in the United States through birth tourism ranges from several thousand to tens of thousands.

The order extends the Trump administration's immigration policy of restricting birthright citizenship for children born to foreign nationals in the country temporarily or illegally.

With a broader birthright citizenship ban already blocked by the Supreme Court, the move is widely interpreted as an effort to maintain policy continuity and present a tangible achievement to rally the base ahead of November's midterm elections.

Trump signed an executive order banning birthright citizenship at the start of his return to office early last year, but the Supreme Court blocked it on June 30, ruling that the 14th Amendment automatically grants citizenship to children born on US soil.