US passport policy: Trump administration considers new checks on parents’ citizenship status

The US State Department is considering a new passport policy that could require parents and legal guardians to provide proof of their US citizenship or immigration status when applying for passports for children.

The proposed change is part of the administration of US President Donald Trump’s broader effort to implement new restrictions on birthright citizenship and prevent what it describes as “birth tourism”.

Under the proposed guidance, parents applying for a US passport for a child could be required to submit documents establishing their own citizenship or immigration status in the United States. Possible documents could include a valid US passport, birth certificate, immigration records or a permanent resident card.

The proposal, however, is not currently a blanket requirement for all parents applying for children’s passports. The State Department is still considering the guidance, while Trump’s broader birthright-citizenship order is being challenged in court.

The proposed passport checks are linked to Trump’s August 6 executive order, which seeks to prevent the federal government from recognising US citizenship for certain children born in the United States based on the circumstances surrounding their parents’ citizenship or immigration status.

The order specifically addresses situations involving children whose parents fall into certain categories, including some foreign government employees, individuals classified under the order as “alien enemies” and people accused of using commercial arrangements or fraud to obtain birthright citizenship.

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The Trump administration has defended the policy as an effort to protect the meaning and value of American citizenship and to discourage foreign nationals from travelling to the United States primarily to give birth.

If adopted, the proposed passport guidance could give federal officials additional information when determining whether a child falls within the categories affected by the executive order.

That could be particularly significant for families involving foreign nationals, undocumented immigrants, temporary visa holders and US-born children, depending on how the final guidance is written and whether the underlying executive order survives the ongoing legal challenges.

Under existing US passport rules, applicants must generally provide evidence that the child is a US citizen, establish the parent-child relationship and provide acceptable identification. A US birth certificate, valid US passport, Consular Report of Birth Abroad or Certificate of Citizenship can serve as evidence of citizenship.

The proposed policy could introduce an additional layer by requiring information about the parents’ citizenship or immigration status, rather than focusing solely on evidence establishing the child’s citizenship.

The development comes amid a major legal battle over Trump’s attempt to alter the interpretation of birthright citizenship in the United States.

On September 2, US District Judge Deborah Boardman issued a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of Trump’s August 6 order against children covered by a class-action lawsuit. The judge found that the challengers were likely to succeed in their argument that the order was unconstitutional.

The court decision creates another obstacle for the administration as it attempts to implement its new approach to birthright citizenship.

The dispute follows an earlier Supreme Court ruling concerning Trump’s broader attempt to restrict birthright citizenship. The legal battle has left the administration’s proposed changes subject to continuing court proceedings.

For parents, the distinction between the proposed passport policy and existing passport requirements is important.

The State Department has not announced that every parent must now provide proof of immigration status before a child can receive a US passport. Rather, officials are considering whether such documentation should become part of the passport process in cases affected by the administration’s interpretation of the new citizenship order.

The final outcome will depend on both the State Department’s administrative decisions and the courts’ rulings on the constitutionality and enforceability of Trump’s birthright-citizenship policy.

Until new guidance is formally issued and takes effect, families applying for children’s US passports should continue to follow the existing passport requirements and avoid relying on reports suggesting that the proposed parental checks are already universally mandatory.

The issue is expected to remain contentious because any change could affect how the US government determines citizenship for children born in the country and how that citizenship is documented through the passport system.

US passport policy: Trump administration considers new checks on parents’ citizenship status

Two Filipino Seafarers Killed in Strait of Hormuz Tanker Attack

Saudi shipping company Bahri confirms loss of two crew members as Philippines government says 14 other Filipino seafarers were unharmed and are being repatriated; attacks come amid escalating US-Iran tensions.

Saudi Arabia’s national shipping company, Bahri, has confirmed that two Filipino seafarers were killed in a security incident involving its vessel, SIDR, while it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, August 31, 2026. The company said the incident occurred at approximately 11:40 pm local time (19:40 GMT). The Philippines Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) confirmed the deaths and provided additional details. Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the vessel was hit by unidentified projectiles as it was about to cross the strait, sparking a fire that the crew managed to contain. There were 16 Filipino seafarers on board the SIDR at the time of the attack. The 14 surviving crew members have been brought ashore in Oman, and arrangements are being made to repatriate all 16, including the remains of the two who were killed.

According to shipping intelligence firms Marisks and Kpler, two supertankers carrying Saudi crude were struck by unknown projectiles within minutes of each other while transiting outbound through the Strait of Hormuz late on Monday. The Saudi Arabian-flagged SIDR was struck by “unknown projectiles” at approximately 19:52 UTC about 16 nautical miles (30km) northeast of Khasab, Oman. Minutes later, the Liberian-flagged Senegal Prosperity was reportedly struck by three unknown projectiles approximately 17 nautical miles east of Khasab; all crew aboard that vessel were reported safe. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency also reported that a tanker had been struck by three unidentified projectiles while outbound through the Strait of Hormuz, in what appeared to be the same incident. Marisks described the near-simultaneous incidents as “a further escalation in the threat environment within the Omani corridor.”

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The attack comes amid rapidly escalating tensions between the United States and Iran over the strategic waterway. Saudi Arabia condemned what it described as “Iran’s targeting of the Saudi tanker” and stressed the need to “respect the security and safety of international navigation.” However, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed that two oil tankers caught fire after striking mines while transiting an “illegal route” through the Strait of Hormuz. The US military denied Iran’s claim, with US Central Command stating: “No ships have hit mines in the Strait of Hormuz. This is yet another IRGC attempt to intimidate regional commercial shipping through disinformation.”

Secretary Cacdac said the Philippine Embassy and the Migrant Workers Office in Oman are coordinating with Omani authorities for the immediate repatriation of the surviving crew. He said he would make personal visits to the families of the two deceased seafarers within 48 hours. The DMW remains on red alert as the Strait of Hormuz continues to be considered a high-risk, war-like zone. Cacdac said 31 ships carrying 421 seafarers have been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz since February 28, 2026. Of these, 406 seafarers were unharmed, 10 were injured but have recovered, three died and one remains officially missing.

The attack on the SIDR is not an isolated incident. About a month earlier, another Bahri vessel, the Wedyan supertanker, was hit near the strait while sailing close to Oman’s coast. Additionally, two other Bahri vessels, AMZAN and MASA, were attacked in the Red Sea after the Iran-backed Yemen’s Houthis declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia. Bahri extended its condolences to the families, loved ones, and colleagues of the two seafarers and said it was providing full support to those affected. The company said it remained in continuous contact with the vessel and was coordinating closely with relevant authorities and maritime industry stakeholders while monitoring developments. Bahri stressed that the safety and well-being of its personnel remained its highest priority.

Two Filipino Seafarers Killed in Strait of Hormuz Tanker Attack

Bank of America VP, New Mother, Killed in Random Times Square Stabbing

Erin Piacenti, 32, was on her first day back from maternity leave when she was fatally stabbed in an unprovoked attack; suspect with mental health history shot dead by police.

A Bank of America vice-president, Erin Piacenti, has died after she was stabbed in a random attack at Times Square, New York City, on Monday afternoon. The 32-year-old, who lived in Chester, New Jersey, was walking home from work near West 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue when she was attacked. According to police, she had briefly stopped in front of a street vendor selling sunglasses and caps when the suspect, 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros of Queens, approached her.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the attack was “random and unprovoked”. The incident began around 4:24 pm when Cisneros pulled two large knives from a shopping bag near West 41st Street and Seventh Avenue. She first approached a 68-year-old man who had just exited the subway and was waiting to cross the street with his wife. The suspect stabbed him in the abdomen in what police described as a random attack. Approximately 20 seconds later, Cisneros walked up Seventh Avenue toward 42nd Street and stabbed Piacenti, also in the abdomen. A local vendor, Aliou Dieye, told The New York Times that he saw the woman in a pink T-shirt approach Piacenti without saying a word and stab her in the stomach.

Witnesses flagged down police officers, who confronted Cisneros near the scene. According to Commissioner Tisch, officers spent about four minutes trying to persuade her to drop the knives. During the standoff, Cisneros told officers: “I’m not dropping anything, I would rather kill both of you.” Officers deployed a Taser stun gun, but it was ineffective, and Cisneros continued advancing toward them while swinging the knives. Two officers then fired their service weapons, striking the suspect.

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Both stabbing victims and Cisneros were taken to Bellevue Hospital. Piacenti died from her injuries. The 68-year-old male victim, a tourist from Rhode Island visiting his son, survived and was reported to be in stable condition. Cisneros was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Police said Cisneros had a documented mental health history, with police encounters in 2018 and 2019, but no arrest record in New York City. Her brother, Patrick Peralta, told Gothamist she had struggled with psychiatric problems for decades but was not aggressive. She had been taking medication and had been doing better in recent years, working on and off in a legal office. Disturbing social media posts from Cisneros emerged after the attack. In a Facebook post from November 2025, she wrote about “the diminished love of people to the point of stabbing others for no reason.”

Piacenti worked as Vice President of Business Selection and Conflicts in Bank of America’s Manhattan office at One Bryant Park, just blocks from the attack. According to her LinkedIn profile, she had joined the bank approximately 18 months ago. She had recently returned to work after maternity leave and was on her first day back when she was killed. She and her husband, Frank, had welcomed a baby girl five months earlier. Four days before the attack, she shared a photo on social media of herself with her newborn daughter and husband, expressing gratitude for her maternity leave. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2016 and earned her law degree from Fordham Law School in 2021.

Bank of America confirmed Piacenti’s death in a statement: “We are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our colleague. She was a valued teammate who will be greatly missed. Our hearts go out to her family and all of her loved ones.” Matthew Koder, the bank’s President of Global Corporate & Investment Banking, described Piacenti as a “cherished teammate and friend” in an internal memo, adding that “her loss is being felt deeply by many.”

Bank of America VP, New Mother, Killed in Random Times Square Stabbing