Marsha Blackburn

Following last week's U.S. Supreme Court ruling upholding birthright citizenship, U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, introduced legislation aimed at restricting what she called "birth tourism," according to a news release from her office.

The proposed legislation, titled the “Ban Birth Tourism Act,” would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to prohibit foreign nationals from obtaining nonimmigrant visas for the primary purpose of giving birth in the United States so their children acquire U.S. citizenship at birth.

In announcing the bill, Blackburn said the measure is intended to address what she described as the exploitation of U.S. immigration law.

"The industry built on this abuse of our laws — birth tourism — rakes in millions of dollars while catering to wealthy Russian, Chinese, and other foreign nationals," Blackburn's office said in the release. "According to one estimate, 33,000 children are born each year to women on tourist visas. Under current law, each is entitled to U.S. citizenship."

The legislation includes an exception for individuals seeking legitimate medical care related to childbirth, provided that obtaining U.S. citizenship for the child is not the primary purpose of their travel.

The bill does not specify how immigration officials would determine whether an applicant's primary purpose for entering the United States is to obtain medical care or to secure birthright citizenship for a child.

President Donald Trump called on Congress to pass legislation in the wake of his loss in the high court's June 27 ruling, and Blackburn's proposal comes as other Tennessee Republicans pursue legislation related to birthright citizenship.

On June 30, U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Columbia, introduced the "Anchors Away Act," which would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act's definition of who is subject to the jurisdiction of the United States for purposes of birthright citizenship.

Under the proposal, a child born in the United States would automatically receive citizenship only if at least one parent is a U.S. citizen, a lawful permanent resident or an active-duty member of the U.S. armed forces.

Unlike Ogles' proposal, which seeks to change how federal law defines eligibility for birthright citizenship, Blackburn's bill focuses on restricting the use of temporary visas by individuals traveling to the United States for the primary purpose of giving birth.