State Department Revokes 900 Visas to Combat Birth Tourism

The United States Department of State has revoked nearly 900 visas since early August as part of a crackdown on birth tourism. This enforcement effort is led by the newly established Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force, which targets foreign nationals who travel to the U.S. primarily to give birth so their children can obtain birthright citizenship.

Officials state the campaign focuses on individuals who misrepresent travel intentions on visa applications and organized networks that commodify citizenship by coaching applicants to defraud consular officers. The department alleges these networks often disguise themselves as healthcare providers, leaving U.S. taxpayers to cover medical expenses. Examples of fraud cited by the department include a couple using fake vacation stories and a foreign official who extended a one-week government visit to three months to give birth.

This administrative crackdown follows a June ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States in Trump v. Barbara. The court invalidated Executive Order 14160, which had attempted to end universal birthright citizenship, and affirmed that the 14th Amendment grants citizenship to all persons born on American soil regardless of parental status. In response to the legal limitation on ending birthright citizenship, the administration has shifted toward visa enforcement and investigations into birth tourism schemes.