WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States has launched a new inter-agency task force aimed at combating birth tourism, a practice in which foreign nationals travel to the country primarily to give birth and obtain US citizenship for their children.
The Department of State announced the Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force, saying more than 600 visas had already been revoked worldwide as part of its initial enforcement actions.
The initiative follows two executive orders signed by President Donald Trump directing federal agencies to take action against foreigners who enter the United States for the purpose of giving birth, including visa revocations and deportations where applicable.
According to a fact sheet issued by the State Department, the task force is part of a broader effort to protect the integrity of US citizenship and ensure that non-immigrant visas are used for their intended purposes.
The task force will review applicants’ travel and visa histories, identify suspected cases of birth tourism, revoke visas where individuals are found to be ineligible and target networks that facilitate the practice for profit.
The State Department warned that foreigners who deliberately misrepresent the purpose of their travel or entry into the United States could face permanent ineligibility for a US visa or admission.
“Citizenship is not a commodity to be acquired through the calculated exploitation of US immigration laws,” the department said, adding that it was working with the Department of Homeland Security to combat birth tourism.
US consular officers at embassies and consulates, including those in Abuja and Lagos, have also been instructed to increase scrutiny of visa applications containing potential indicators of birth tourism.
The State Department said birth tourism has developed into a lucrative commercial industry involving organized networks that market childbirth-related travel packages to prospective parents.
According to the department, some operators advertise themselves as doulas, midwives or wellness consultants while offering packages that may include visa guidance, accommodation and hospital arrangements.
Officials also alleged that some facilitators forge medical documents, coach clients to misrepresent their travel intentions and advise them on avoiding hospital payments.
The department cited several cases as examples of what it described as deceptive practices.
In one case, a couple allegedly used a conference and vacation as the stated purpose of their trip to the US but gave birth to two children during their visits. On a subsequent visa application, they reportedly concealed the previous US birth and misrepresented their travel plans. Their visas were revoked.
In another case, a foreign government official obtained a visa for a one-week official trip but remained in the US for about three months and gave birth before leaving the country. Her visa was subsequently revoked.
A third traveler reportedly applied for a tourist visa to visit Orlando, Florida, but instead traveled to Los Angeles and gave birth five days after arriving in the United States. Her visa was also revoked.
The State Department said the task force would continue analyzing data across the Department of State and DHS to identify patterns associated with birth tourism and uncover networks involved in facilitating the practice.
It will also work with US diplomatic missions to train consular officers to better detect misrepresentation during visa interviews and strengthen enforcement against individuals and organizations involved in birth tourism.
