U.S. State Department Revokes 6,000 Visas Over Birth Tourism
The U.S. Department of State revoked over 6,000 visas from foreign nationals and facilitators involved in birth tourism to curb fraudulent citizenship claims.
The United States Department of State has revoked more than 6,000 visas from foreign nationals who engaged in or facilitated birth tourism. This practice involves traveling to the United States primarily to give birth so a child can obtain American citizenship. The number of revocations has risen steadily since the Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force was established in August, increasing from 2,300 at its inception to 4,000 in October and now exceeding 6,000.
The crackdown targets pregnant women as well as intermediaries, commercial operators, and foreign medical providers who organize these trips or fraudulently utilize Medicaid. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced visa restrictions in September under the Immigration and Nationality Act, noting that these restrictions may extend to certain family members of those involved.
These actions align with efforts by the Trump administration to restrict the granting of U.S. citizenship by birth through an executive order. However, a federal judge blocked portions of that order in September, citing conflicts with constitutional protections regarding birthright citizenship.
