H.R. 9562: Anchors Away Act

This bill would make two main changes to immigration and citizenship law.

Birthright citizenship rules

The bill would revise the Immigration and Nationality Act to say that, for a person born in the United States to be considered a U.S. citizen or national at birth, the person must be born to at least one parent who is:

• a U.S. citizen or national;
• a lawful permanent resident whose residence is in the United States; or
• a person with lawful immigration status who is serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces.

The bill states that it is intended to clarify who is considered “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States for birth citizenship purposes. It also says that it would not change the citizenship or nationality status of anyone born before the bill becomes law.

Pregnant nonimmigrants

The bill would add a new ground of inadmissibility for certain visitors. Under this provision, a person seeking admission to the United States as a nonimmigrant would be inadmissible if they are both:

• pregnant; and
• not married to a U.S. citizen.

The bill also says this rule should not be read to block a person from entering the United States to receive legitimate medical treatment related to childbirth.

When the bill would apply

The bill would take effect on the date it is enacted. The citizenship provision would apply to people born on or after that date, and the immigration rule would apply to admission applications made on or after that date.

Other provisions

The bill includes severability clauses, which means that if one part of the law is found unconstitutional, the rest would still remain in effect where possible.

Relevant Companies

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