Congressman Morgan Griffith, a Republican from Virginia, has introduced legislation to limit the right to US citizenship by birth in territories such as Puerto Rico. The bill, HR 9724, would exclude children of non-US citizens and non-permanent residents born in these territories from automatic citizenship. Griffith’s proposal comes after the US Supreme Court’s decision in the Trump vs. Barbara case, which left open the possibility for Congress to take action on citizenship in US territories.
The legislation would amend the 1941 federal law that granted US citizenship by birth to individuals born in Puerto Rico, but would not affect the citizenship rights of children born to US citizens or permanent residents in the territory. The bill has been referred to the House Judiciary and Natural Resources committees. Griffith’s proposal would apply to the five unincorporated US territories: Puerto Rico, Guam, the US Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa, where citizens are not automatically granted US citizenship by birth.