Homeland Security Chief Cites Rules for 'Sick Individuals' To Bar Pregnant Visitors

US Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin has proposed barring women in late stages of pregnancy from visiting the United States, citing existing travel bans on individuals with infectious illnesses as a legal precedent.

Speaking during a live television broadcast, the Homeland Security chief confirmed the administration is actively exploring mechanisms to restrict entry for women late in their third trimester to prevent automatic birthright citizenship.

A federal judge temporarily blocked another executive order by President Donald Trump designed to limit automatic citizenship rights. This ongoing legal and policy dispute follows a Supreme Court decision in June that rejected an attempt by the administration to end the constitutional guarantee for children born on American soil.

Homeland Security Chief Faces Backlash Over Pregnancy Remarks

During an appearance on Fox News, Mullin outlined the exact rationale behind the proposed travel restrictions. He explained that the administration is looking at ways to stop the practice by telling visitors, 'Hey, maybe you shouldn't come to this country if you're late in your third term.'

Mullin argued there is established legal precedent for such a move, noting the U.S. government already prohibits 'sick individuals to come here if they are coming from an area that could spread a disease.'

The televised remarks sparked immediate and widespread criticism across social media platforms, highlighting public frustration with the language used.

One user wrote, 'Pregnancy is a disease now!' while another dismissed the comparison as a 'horrible analogy.' A third critic described Mullin as 'truly an idiot without a redeeming quality,' adding that 'history will record this.'

Court Injunction Halts Broader Birthright Citizenship Plans

While State Department rules already prohibit issuing tourist visas to individuals travelling solely to give birth on American soil, the administration has sought to expand enforcement.

Following the June Supreme Court ruling, Trump signed a narrower executive order in August seeking to deny citizenship to the children of people designated as 'alien enemies' and those accused of engaging in 'birth tourism.' The directive also targeted children whose parents work for foreign governments inside the country.

Judge Deborah Boardman issued a preliminary injunction on Wednesday to pause the August directive. Boardman agreed with the nation's highest court, concluding that the latest presidential effort was likely an infringement of the constitutional right to automatic citizenship.

The injunction will temporarily halt enforcement of the order while a lawsuit brought by immigrant rights groups, including CASA and the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project, proceeds through the legal system.

In her ruling, Boardman stated, 'This Court must, once again, preliminarily enjoin enforcement of the president's most recent attempt to strip the right to citizenship from them.'

White House Defends Homeland Security Chief and Policy Agenda

Government lawyers have consistently maintained that while the Supreme Court upheld birthright citizenship over the summer, the landmark ruling did not preclude narrower executive options to limit the right. They pointed to historical exceptions allowed for the children of diplomats and foreign adversaries.

A White House spokesperson defended the administration on Thursday, dismissing the Wednesday injunction as 'just another ruling from an activist judge appointed by Biden attempting to thwart President Trump's commonsense agenda.'

The spokesperson further claimed the executive order is 'consistent with the holdings and analysis set forth by the Supreme Court,' signalling a likely appeal.

The administration's repeated attempts to curtail birthright citizenship form a central pillar of a larger strategy to reduce migration to the United States.

This broader enforcement push has included ending Temporary Protected Status for several nations and ramping up deportations, culminating in federal immigration officials making nearly 51,000 arrests in August.