FAIR says birthright citizenship costs U.S. taxpayers $150.7 billion annually
On Oct. 13, 2026 the Foundation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) released a study estimating that birthright citizenship costs U.S. taxpayers about $150.7 billion each year.
The figure breaks down into roughly half spent on K‑12 education for children born to non‑citizen parents, with the remaining balance covering health‑care benefits and nutritional assistance programs. FAIR attributes the expense to the automatic citizenship granted under the 14th Amendment to anyone born on U.S. soil, regardless of parents’ immigration status.
Policy analysts highlighted that broad constitutional interpretations have enabled organized “birth tourism” and commercial surrogacy schemes in states such as California, New York and Florida, as well as in the Northern Mariana Islands. According to the report, between 20,000 and 26,000 tourist births are recorded annually, but FAIR’s own estimates suggest the true number may be higher, adding an additional 225,000 to 250,000 births to undocumented mothers each year.
Mateo Forero, FAIR’s director of investigations, warned that the policy creates “unfortunate and really harmful unintended consequences” and noted a growing national‑security concern, saying foreign nationals are effectively “farming U.S. citizenship” by having children born in the United States who may later reside abroad under adversarial governments.
The Trump administration, which has made curbing birth tourism a priority, issued two executive orders in August 2026. One targets the “ending of birth tourism,” while the other emphasizes protecting the “meaning and value of American citizenship.” FAIR officials said the orders aim to close legal gaps left by the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Trump v. Barbara, which reaffirmed automatic citizenship for anyone born in the country.
Regional investigations show distinct patterns: California hosts high‑end “maternity‑hotel” operations catering largely to Chinese clients; New York saw a Turkish‑language network on Long Island that generated over $2 million in Medicaid fraud; Florida’s hub involves Russian and Eastern‑European clientele; and the Northern Mariana Islands experienced a surge in tourist births when a temporary visa waiver was in effect.
FAIR’s report concludes that executive action alone will not resolve the fiscal impact. The organization calls for congressional legislation and ultimately suggests a constitutional amendment to clarify the original 19th‑century understanding of the 14th Amendment. The administration has signaled intent to pursue additional regulatory measures, but the next legislative steps remain uncertain.
