U.S. Congress Considers Bill to Restrict Birthright Citizenship in Puerto Rico

Republican Representative Morgan Griffith of Virginia introduced the “End Birthright Citizenship for the Territories Act,” a proposal that would limit automatic U.S. citizenship for children born in Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories to those whose parents are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents, taking effect in 2027. The measure is framed as a response to alleged “birth tourism,” even though the Supreme Court recently reaffirmed birthright citizenship as a constitutional right. Critics, including Puerto Rican legal scholar Efrén Rivera Ramos, argue the bill creates a discriminatory subclass of residents and contravenes the “Insular Cases,” which historically held that full constitutional protections do not automatically extend to territories. The legislation arrives on the ten‑year anniversary of PROMESA, the federal oversight framework imposed on Puerto Rico’s finances, which many view as a continued colonial imposition.

Supporters say the bill closes a perceived loophole, while opponents warn it would further erode rights for Puerto Ricans and other territorial inhabitants, sparking a new debate over the status and citizenship protections of U.S. territories.