Acting AG Todd Blanche Names DOJ, DHS Moves After Ruling

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the Justice Department will focus prosecutors on “birth tourism” even after the Supreme Court upheld birthright citizenship. Asked what the government can do to limit foreigners coming to the U.S. to give birth, Blanch

For Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, the Supreme Court’s decision did not end the fight over “birth tourism.” It just changed the lane.

At a Wednesday press conference. Blanche—speaking a day after the court’s ruling—acknowledged that the Supreme Court had ruled against President Donald Trump on birthright citizenship. But he insisted the Justice Department still has “a few tricks up its sleeve” to block foreigners from coming to the U.S. to give birth.

He was pressed on what “options” the DOJ has to crack down on what Trump has called “birth tourism. ” where foreigners travel to the U.S. for the express purpose of giving birth to children who become automatically American citizens. The Supreme Court, however, had ruled on Tuesday that the practice was legal.

“Well, from a Department of Justice standpoint it’s obviously focusing our prosecutors and our law enforcement partners on birthing tourism,” Blanche said. “It’s a booming industry and it will continue [to be], given the Supreme Court’s decision yesterday.”

Blanche then broadened the focus beyond prosecution. There are “other things that DHS can do and the federal government can do in the visa process and the application process. ” he said. “to try to minimize or limit the opportunity of folks coming here not to visit. not to do what they’re saying on their tourist visa. just to have a baby that can be a U.S. citizen.”.

From Blanche’s view, the dividing line is intent. “From our standpoint, it’s focusing on what is improper. Everybody should agree that it’s a violation of our laws if your intent in coming here, if you’re pregnant, is to have a child to become a United States citizen because of our laws.”

His comments came as the Supreme Court’s reasoning was still setting the terms of the debate. In the majority opinion. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that citizenship has meant “the right to have rights— to freely participate in our political community. ” adding that the Framers of the Fourteenth Amendment extended that promise to “every free-born person in this land.” Roberts concluded. “We keep that promise today.”.

Trump had argued that the Fourteenth Amendment was meant to ensure the children of enslaved people became citizens. but he has said it later “morphed into a ‘great scam.’” On Tuesday. he criticized the birthright citizenship ruling while also saying the court had been “very fair” to Republicans overall. He then sardonically congratulated China on the ruling.

Conservatives who had staked their hopes on reversing the precedent were harsher. The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh branded Justice Amy Coney Barrett a “DEI Hire” for ruling against Trump once again. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said he was “very disappointed” by the ruling. Steve Bannon said Roberts told MAGA to “suck on that,” essentially.

The debate now turns on the practical question Blanche put forward: if the Supreme Court said birthright citizenship holds. what can the federal government do next—without trying to relitigate the constitutional outcome?. Blanche said the answer is enforcement pressure aimed at what he described as improper intent. and additional screening through visa and application processes led by DHS and other parts of the federal government.

Watch above via C-SPAN.

Todd Blanche Acting Attorney General birthright citizenship birth tourism Department of Justice DHS visa process Supreme Court John Roberts Fourteenth Amendment Trump administration Mike Johnson Steve Bannon Amy Coney Barrett