US revokes more than 600 visas in crackdown on birth tourism

International

The State Department has created a specialised task force targeting networks accused of helping foreign nationals misuse the visa system to secure US citizenship for their children

The United States has revoked more than 600 visas from foreign nationals within a month as part of an intensified campaign against organised so-called birth tourism, according to the US State Department.

The action targets networks accused of helping pregnant foreign nationals obtain visas through fraudulent information or forged documents with the aim of giving birth in the United States. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said criminal organisations were profiting from schemes designed to exploit US immigration and citizenship laws.

Special task force targets organised networks

The State Department has established a Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force to identify and dismantle organisations involved in such schemes. Its work includes reviewing the activities of visa holders and investigating those suspected of facilitating fraudulent applications.

“American citizenship is not for sale,” Rubio said, describing the schemes as an abuse of US law.

According to the Secretary of State, criminal organisations coach foreign nationals on how to deceive the visa system and provide falsified documentation intended to facilitate travel to the United States for childbirth.

Executive order expands enforcement powers

The crackdown follows an executive order issued by President Donald Trump on August 6. The directive characterises organised birth tourism as a calculated exploitation of US immigration policy and a potential threat to national security.

It gives the State Department and Department of Homeland Security authority to revoke documentation and permanently bar individuals found to have facilitated such schemes.

The measures are directed not only at travellers but also at organisations and intermediaries accused of arranging fraudulent applications and supporting the networks behind them.

More than 600 visas revoked within a month

The scale of the first enforcement measures indicates that authorities are reviewing existing visa holders as well as new applications. More than 600 visas have been revoked during the past month, according to the State Department.

Rubio said the task force would continue examining suspected cases and pursuing the networks involved.

“The State Department will use all available tools to dismantle birth tourism networks and defend the integrity of US citizenship,” he said.