How valuable is U.S. citizenship? Valuable enough that the question briefly surfaced in a Supreme Court argument Wednesday over birthright citizenship.
The fundamental dispute in Trump v. Barbara is who counts as an American. Yet the case also underscores why being an American matters.
Why is ‘birth tourism’ such a flashpoint?
President Donald Trump and his allies have repeatedly claimed that “birth tourism” — traveling to the U.S. to give birth so the baby becomes an American citizen — is a prevalent abuse of the current system.
During Wednesday’s hearing, U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer described a “sprawling industry” supporting birth tourism. But when asked how common the practice is, he acknowledged that “no one knows for sure.”
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While estimates vary widely, the Center for Immigration Studies, a research organization that favors limited immigration, estimated that each year about 70,000 babies are born on U.S. soil to temporary visitors, including “birth tourists,” and up to 250,000 babies are born American to unauthorized immigrants.
What are the financial advantages of US citizenship?
U.S. citizenship confers a host of privileges: the right to permanently live and work in the United States, the right to vote and access to a broader range of legal protections and public benefits.
There are also financial advantages, sometimes described as a “citizenship premium.”
For example, an American can expect to earn 93 times more over a lifetime than a person born in one of the world’s poorest countries, according to researcher Branko Milanovic of the City College of New York.
Citizens also enjoy an economic edge over noncitizens living in the U.S.
For example, naturalized immigrants earn about 10% more annually than non-naturalized immigrants, even if they have similar skills, education and English fluency, according to research by Boundless, an immigration services company.
An Urban Institute study from 2015 found that if all immigrants eligible for naturalization in 21 selected U.S. cities became citizens, their combined earnings would increase by $5.7 billion.
How much does Trump think citizenship is worth?
Trump has called U.S. citizenship “the most prized possession anywhere in the world.”
In fact, he has even tried to monetize access to it. He said his proposed “gold card” program would give foreigners green-card privileges and a pathway to citizenship if they are willing to pay for it.
The price tag: $5 million.
