The State Department has officially launched a special task force to crack down on so-called birth tourism, the practice of traveling to the United States to give birth so a child can obtain U.S. citizenship.[3]
The department said the task force has been investigating cases in which foreign nationals tried to give birth on U.S. soil for the purpose of securing citizenship for their children, and it has already revoked more than 600 foreign visas tied to those cases.[3]
In a statement, the State Department said U.S. citizenship is not something that can be obtained by deliberately exploiting immigration law.[3] The move is part of the Trump administration’s broader immigration policy aimed at preventing children born to foreign parents who are in the United States temporarily or illegally from obtaining citizenship.[3]
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Aug. 6 barring foreign nationals who attempt birth tourism from entering the country.[1][3] The administration had previously tried to bar birthright citizenship outright, but that effort was blocked by the Supreme Court, leading the White House to pursue a narrower ban focused specifically on birth tourism.[2][6] The visa cancellations are already underway, and pregnant women planning to visit the United States could be directly affected.[3]
