The U.S. Department of State unveiled a global Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force on Wednesday that it says revoked more than 600 visas during its first month as the Trump administration expands enforcement against misuse of nonimmigrant visas.
The department announced the initiative six days after President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14419, “Ending Birth Tourism,” on August 6. The order authorizes the secretaries of state and homeland security to deny or revoke visas, prevent entry, remove foreign nationals and pursue facilitators involved in birth tourism, consistent with applicable law.
“Citizenship is not a commodity to be acquired through calculated exploitation and evasion of the immigration laws,” the order states.
Task force targets travelers and facilitators
The task force reviews visa holders’ activities and travel histories worldwide and combines information from the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies to identify suspected birth tourism, revoke visas and dismantle networks that profit from it, according to the State Department.
The department generally revokes a visa when information indicates that its holder may be ineligible. The secretary of state also has broad discretionary authority to revoke visas.
Officials described a commercial industry in which some operators allegedly present themselves as doulas, midwives or wellness providers while arranging visa coaching and hospital services. The department said some facilitators forge medical documents, coach clients to conceal their true travel purpose or help them avoid hospital bills.
The State Department cited a couple who allegedly used a conference and a vacation shopping trip as cover stories while traveling to the United States to give birth to two children. The department said the couple lied about their travel purpose on two visa applications and concealed the existence of their first child during the second application.
In separate cases, a foreign government official obtained a visa for a one-week official trip but remained in the United States for three months and gave birth, while another traveler claimed she planned to vacation in Orlando but instead went to Los Angeles and gave birth five days after arriving. The department revoked the visas in each cited case.
Crackdown does not change birthright citizenship
The crackdown regulates visas and admission to the United States. It does not alter the citizenship status of children born on U.S. soil.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled June 30 in Trump v. Barbara that children born in the United States to parents who are unlawfully or temporarily present are citizens at birth under the 14th Amendment’s Citizenship Clause.
Federal regulations, however, do not permit a B visitor visa when a traveler’s primary purpose is giving birth in the United States so the child can obtain citizenship. A foreign national who willfully misrepresents a material fact to obtain a visa or enter the country may become permanently ineligible for a U.S. visa or admission.
The State Department’s action therefore focuses on access to the United States and alleged fraud or visa misuse, not stripping citizenship from a child after birth.
Texas targets alleged schemes
Texas has separately targeted alleged birth tourism schemes involving regulated health care providers.
Gov. Greg Abbott (R-Texas) signed an executive order July 21 directing state health and licensing agencies to investigate claims and act against any licensed or regulated person or entity that participates in an unlawful scheme. Potential actions include suspending or revoking licenses, barring participation in state contracts, denying state benefits and referring potential violations to civil or criminal authorities.
The order followed Abbott’s July 7 directive to investigate allegations that Texas hospitals advertised birth packages to foreign nationals. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission later referred allegations involving Mission Regional Medical Center and Knapp Medical Center to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R-Texas), as The Dallas Express previously reported.
The referral did not announce a finding of wrongdoing. Mission Regional said it did not support or facilitate unlawful activity.
“The State Department will use all available tools to dismantle birth tourism networks and defend the integrity of U.S. citizenship,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
Provided by Dallas Express
