The Department of State claims to have busted multiple transnational “birth tourism” schemes aimed at allowing foreign nationals to have a baby on U.S. soil in order to collect an American passport on their way back home.
In a series of statements posted Wednesday, the State Department reiterated its commitment to enforcing the U.S. statutes against birth tourism, announcing that three separate investigations found coordinated operations bringing expectant mothers into the country.
“Consular officers – working with law enforcement and using data analytics – identified several networks abusing the system and put a stop to it,” the State Department wrote. “A U.S. visa is a privilege, not a right. The State Department is taking action around the world to stop this abuse, dismantle birth tourism networks, and hold accountable those who try to scam our system.”
According to the department, one network in West Africa was shut down after an investigation by a local embassy uncovered more than 100 foreign nationals working to produce fraudulent documents and manipulate visas to move pregnant women into the country “to get U.S. citizenship for their children.” They reported a similar scheme in North Africa.
“We shut it down, revoked these foreign nationals’ visas, and are coordinating with local authorities to systematically identify and cut off any similar operations,” the State Department reported.
A U.S. Embassy in Europe similarly investigated an ecosystem of birth tourism companies operating on the continent that they believe were linked to over 400 suspected illicit citizenship schemes.
Birth tourism is a booming business for noncitizens who want to secure the privileges of U.S. citizenship for their children. These babies, once born on American soil and granted passports, are usually whisked back to their country of origin. Raised outside the country and American only on paper, these dual-citizens can then pass that citizenship on to their children and grandchildren.
There is particular concern regarding how hostile foreign states such as Russia and China can exploit these loopholes.
According to Customs and Border Protection, “U.S. consular officers overseas will deny any B visa application from an applicant whom the consular officer has reason to believe is traveling for the primary purpose of giving birth in the United States to obtain U.S. citizenship for their child.”
President Donald Trump has made ending the practice of birth tourism a priority since his first term, when he released a statement affirming that the government would be taking action to upend networks that facilitate the process.
“Birth tourism could allow foreign governments to exploit birth tourism in manners that threaten the security of the United States,” the White House warned in 2020. “Foreign governments could exploit this vulnerability to recruit individuals who were born as the result of birth tourism and raised overseas, without attachment to the United States.”
In his second term, Trump has gone much further — seeking to end birthright citizenship entirely in order to prevent abuses of the system. He issued an executive order directing federal agencies to cease recognition of citizenship for babies born in the U.S. to parents who are not citizens or lawful permanent residents. That order has been halted by multiple federal injunctions.
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments for the case earlier this year and is expected to deliver a ruling on the matter by early next month.