End Birthright Citizenship for Territories Act

This legislative proposal, known as the "End Birthright Citizenship for Territories Act," aims to significantly alter the application of birthright citizenship within certain United States territories. Citing Congress's constitutional authority over territories and Supreme Court precedents, the bill seeks to clarify and limit who can obtain U.S. citizenship by birth in these areas. The bill specifically amends existing provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act for Puerto Rico , the Virgin Islands , and Guam , and a separate public law for the Northern Mariana Islands . For each of these territories, it introduces a critical amendment: individuals born on or after January 1, 2027 , will no longer automatically be granted U.S. citizenship by virtue of their birth there. Crucially, the legislation includes important caveats to these changes. It explicitly states that the amendments will not affect the citizenship status of any person born in these territories before January 1, 2027. Furthermore, the limitations will not apply to children born in these territories if either parent is a United States citizen or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States.