• “在美国生个孩子，拿张美国护照，以后读书、出国、移民都方便。”这样的话几乎成了不少家庭考虑赴美生子的“金科玉律”。

    可最近几年，这条路开始越来越不好走了。特朗普在连任初期签署行政命令，想通过行政手段终结美国的“出生公民权”。

    "Giving birth to a child in the United States and obtaining a US passport will make studying, traveling abroad, and immigration easier in the future." This statement has become almost a golden rule for many families considering raising a child in the US.

    In recent years, however, this path has become increasingly difficult. Early in his re-election, Trump signed an executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship in the US through administrative means.


     

    美国宪法第十四修正案规定，任何在美国出生的人都能自动获得美国国籍。这条法律从1868年起就被视为美国公民权的基石。

    但在今年年初，特朗普签署行政命令，要求对这条宪法条款重新解释，拒绝给予在美非法移民及持临时签证者所生子女美国国籍。

    虽然这项命令后来被美国上诉法院裁定违宪，但案件仍将在今年10月交由最高法院裁决。

    这一命令虽然还没有落地，但是却早已经发生了影响。很多原本计划赴美生子的家庭，不得不临时变更目的地，甚至放弃整个计划。

    刘浩林和徐韵是一对来自上海的夫妻。2019年的时候，他们认真考虑赴美生子，后面受疫情影响，就延迟了计划。

    等到2023年再次怀孕时，两人原本打算重新启动赴美计划，但特朗普再次上台后的一系列做法，最终放弃了这个计划。

    The Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides that anyone born in the United States automatically qualifies as a U.S. citizen. This law has been considered the cornerstone of U.S. citizenship since 1868.

    However, earlier this year, Trump signed an executive order reinterpreting this constitutional provision, denying citizenship to children born to undocumented immigrants and those holding temporary visas.

    Although the order was later ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Court of Appeals, the case will still be heard by the Supreme Court in October of this year.

    Although the order has not yet been implemented, its impact has already begun. Many families who had planned to give birth in the United States have been forced to change their destinations or even abandon their plans altogether.

    Liu Haolin and Xu Yun are a couple from Shanghai. In 2019, they seriously considered traveling to the United States to give birth, but the pandemic delayed their plans.

    When they became pregnant again in 2023, they had planned to renew their plans, but Trump's actions after returning to office ultimately put them off.


     

    最后这对夫妻选择了智利。去年2月，他们在圣地亚哥迎来了小女儿的出生，并顺利为她申请到了智利国籍。

    相比美国智利的生育成本其实低得多。赴美生子总花费通常在40万至50万元人民币，而在智利只需10万至20万元人民币，而且智利还承认出生公民权，投资移民的门槛也很低。

    在美国，赴美生子本身并不违法。只要孕妇持合法签证入境，即便目的是生产，也不违反法律。但特朗普多年来持续打击“生育旅游”，称其为“滥用美国制度的漏洞”。

    有观点认为这些“美宝”的公民身份，可能成为全家合法留美的跳板。但根据美国移民研究中心的数据，每年由旅游签证赴美生子的妇女约为3.3万人，占出生总数比例很小。

    Ultimately, the couple chose Chile. Last February, they welcomed their youngest daughter into Santiago and successfully obtained Chilean citizenship for her.

    Compared to the United States, the cost of childbirth in Chile is actually much lower. The total cost of giving birth in the United States typically ranges from 400,000 to 500,000 RMB, while in Chile it's only 100,000 to 200,000 RMB. Chile also recognizes birthright citizenship, and the threshold for investment immigration is also low.

    In the United States, giving birth is not inherently illegal. As long as the pregnant woman enters the country with a valid visa, even if the purpose is to give birth, it is not against the law. However, Trump has been cracking down on "birth tourism" for years, calling it "abusing loopholes in the American system."

    Some believe that citizenship for these "American babies" could serve as a springboard for the entire family to legally remain in the United States. However, according to data from the Center for Immigration Studies, approximately 33,000 women give birth in the United States each year on tourist visas, a small percentage of total births.


     

    相比之下，每年在美出生的无证移民子女数量高达22.5万至25万人，约占总出生人口的7%。这些数字说明，问题远远没有宣传中说的那么严重。

    虽然美国态度趋紧，但其他国家却迎来了机会。

    以智利为例，专门提供生育旅游服务的公司Chile Kids，数据显示从2025年初开始，他们的咨询量同比增加了30%，实际前往智利生产的客户增长了15%至20%。

    这些客户多数来自俄罗斯、乌克兰、白罗斯等国家，中国客户也在稳步增长。据公司统计，自2016年成立以来，已协助超过270名婴儿在智利出生并获得国籍。

    In contrast, the number of children born to undocumented immigrants in the United States each year is as high as 225,000 to 250,000, accounting for approximately 7% of the total births. These figures suggest that the problem is far less severe than often advertised.

    While the US's stance has tightened, other countries have seen opportunities.

    For example, Chile Kids, a company specializing in birth tourism services, has seen a 30% year-on-year increase in inquiries since the beginning of 2025, and a 15-20% increase in clients actually traveling to Chile to give birth.

    Most of these clients come from countries such as Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus, with a steady increase in Chinese clients. According to the company, since its founding in 2016, it has helped over 270 babies born in Chile obtain citizenship.


     

    对这些家庭来说智利不仅是替代方案，也是进入欧洲的一块跳板。智利公民在西班牙合法居住两年即可申请入籍，这条路让孩子未来拥有更多教育和就业的选择。

    这次围绕“出生公民权”的风波，不只是家庭选择问题也牵动美国社会更深层的矛盾。

    美国非营利机构西北移民权利项目指出，特朗普的行政命令尚未实施，移民群体内部的恐慌情绪已经蔓延。部分州开始拒绝为无证移民子女发放社保卡等身份证明文件，激起大批诉讼。

    历史学者Calvin Schermerhorn警告，一旦出生公民权被限制，大量儿童可能成为无国籍者，无法获得教育、医疗和社会保障。这可能带来人道与经济双重挑战。

    For these families, Chile is not only an alternative but also a stepping stone to Europe. Chilean citizens can apply for naturalization after two years of legal residency in Spain, a path that broadens their children's future education and employment options.

    The current controversy surrounding birthright citizenship goes beyond family choice and touches upon deeper contradictions within American society.

    The Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, a US nonprofit, notes that even before Trump's executive order is implemented, panic is already spreading within the immigrant community. Some states have begun refusing to issue social security cards and other identification documents to children of undocumented immigrants, sparking a wave of lawsuits.

    Historian Calvin Schermerhorn warns that if birthright citizenship is restricted, large numbers of children could become stateless, unable to access education, healthcare, and social security. This could pose both humanitarian and economic challenges.


     

    移民为美国提供了大量劳动力和多元文化资源，限制移民的权利从长远看，是不利于美国保持全球竞争力的。

    特朗普的行政命令，能不能落地还不知道，但它带来的社会影响，已经影响了不少家庭的选择。

    Immigrants provide the United States with a vast labor force and diverse cultural resources. Restricting immigrants' rights will, in the long run, undermine the United States' ability to maintain global competitiveness.

    While it remains to be seen whether Trump's executive order will be implemented, its social impact has already influenced the choices of many families.