Rep. Andy Ogles, a Tennessee Republican, has said he will introduce the Anchors Away Act in direct response to President Donald Trump’s call for Congress to end birthright citizenship.
Ogles laid out the bill’s goal in an interview with Fox News host Will Cain on Tuesday, June 30, saying he wants to prevent pregnant foreigners from entering the U.S. to prevent them from exploiting birthright citizenship and securing automatic American citizenship for their children.
“We are literally going to be dropping Anchors Away, which really pushes back against the Supreme Court, this idea that if you are pregnant and you are from a foreign nation, you know what, it is time for Congress to pass a law that says you cannot come here. You cannot have a baby on U.S. Soil and exploit this loophole,” he said.
Andy Ogles Explains the Purpose of the Anchors Away Bill
The move comes hours after the Supreme Court rejected Trump’s executive order on birthright citizenship.
The court ruled that children born in the United States to parents who are unlawfully or temporarily present remain citizens at birth under the 14th Amendment.
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion, stating that such children “are ‘subject to the jurisdiction’ of the United States and are citizens at birth under the Fourteenth Amendment’s Citizenship Clause.” Roberts was joined by Justice Amy Coney Barrett and the three liberal justices.
Also Read: Trump Eyes Congress to End Birthright Citizenship After Supreme Court Rejects Executive Order
Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote separately and argued that the executive order did not violate the 14th Amendment but did conflict with a federal statute.
“Congress could, consistent with the Fourteenth Amendment, amend §1401(a) or otherwise enact new legislation establishing exceptions to birthright citizenship for children born to foreign citizens unlawfully or temporarily in the country. But Congress has not yet done so,” Kavanaugh wrote.
Trump and House Republicans Rally Behind Legislative Push
Trump quickly responded on Truth Social and wrote: “The Supreme Court upheld Birthright Citizenship, which is too bad for our Country, but we can easily make it up in Congress through Legislation, with the support of the President, that has now been determined during this process.
“No long and unwieldy Constitutional Amendment is necessary! Congress should start TODAY to work on ending expensive and unfair to our Country, Birthright Citizenship. They will have my Complete and Total Support!”
House Speaker Mike Johnson backed the proposal, saying lawmakers are reviewing Andy Ogles’ bill and want to address the issue quickly.
Also Read: Supreme Court Upholds Birthright Citizenship, Rejecting Trump’s Constitutional Challenge
He argued that birthright citizenship has been abused and suggested legislation could resolve the matter without requiring a constitutional amendment.
The Anchors Away Act targets what supporters call birth tourism and anchor babies. It would bar pregnant foreign women from entering the United States if the intent appears to be giving birth on American soil to secure citizenship for the child.
Ogles argues this closes a loophole left open by the Supreme Court ruling.
How the Anchors Away Proposal Seeks to Curb Birth Tourism
The 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, says: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”
Trump signed his executive order on Jan. 20, 2025, his first day back in office, which sought to deny citizenship documents to babies born here to undocumented immigrants or those on temporary visas.
Lower courts blocked the order. The Supreme Court’s decision Tuesday upheld those blocks.
Ogles’ bill aims to use Congress’s power over immigration to limit who can enter the country while pregnant.
Details of the legislation, such as enforcement mechanisms or exceptions for certain visa holders, were not immediately available.
Democrats Prepare to Fight the Anchors Away Proposal
Republicans have long criticized birthright citizenship as an incentive for illegal immigration. They say it strains public resources and creates chains of family migration.
Democrats and immigrant rights groups who support birthright citizenship have said the 14th Amendment offers a clear guarantee that should not be eroded by statute or executive action.
