3 weeks ago
Rubio announces birth tourism task force, over 600 visas revoked
Birth tourism is when pregnant women travel to the United States so their babies are born there and become American citizens.
The United States has a rule called birthright citizenship, which gives citizenship to anyone born on American soil.
Some groups misuse this rule to make money by helping people cheat the visa system.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a new team called the Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force to stop this.
The team reviews the activities of people who hold US visas all over the world and works with other government agencies.
It can take away visas from people who use them for birth tourism or help others do it.
More than 600 visas have already been taken away in the past month.
The team says some helpers forge documents or coach travelers to hide the real reason for their trips.
President Donald Trump also wants to end birthright citizenship and signed a new executive order about it on August 6, after the Supreme Court rejected an earlier attempt.
The United States has given citizenship to people born on its soil since the 14th Amendment was ratified in 1868.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the State Department's Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force on Wednesday, August 12.
The task force has revoked more than 600 visas from foreign nationals across the globe in the past month.
The task force will review visa holders' activities and travel histories worldwide and revoke visas of those who engage in or facilitate birth tourism.
The crackdown follows an August 6 executive order by President Donald Trump, who has made ending birthright citizenship a signature agenda.
The State Department cited alleged fraud cases, including a couple, a foreign government official, and a traveller who concealed their travel purposes before giving birth in the US.
- Who
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the State Department's Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force, under the Trump administration
- What
- Announced a global crackdown on birth tourism, revoking more than 600 visas and dismantling networks that profit from the practice
- Where
- United States, with travel histories of visa holders from around the world under review
- When
- Wednesday, August 12; more than 600 visas revoked over the past month; follows an August 6 executive order by President Donald Trump
- Why
- To ensure nonimmigrant visas are used only for lawful purposes and stop what the administration calls exploitation of US citizenship laws, part of President Trump's push to end birthright citizenship
Defenders of birthright citizenship
Trump administration
Legality of ending birthright citizenship
Defenders of birthright citizenship
Citizenship for people born on US soil has been guaranteed since the 14th Amendment was ratified in 1868, and the US Supreme Court struck down a previous executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship in its June 30 ruling (Trump v Barbara).
Trump administration
President Trump says his August 6 executive orders protect the 'meaning and value of American citizenship' and expand the definition of non-citizens ineligible for birthright citizenship, calling birth tourism an exploitation of the nation's laws.
Scale and nature of birth tourism
Defenders of birthright citizenship
Government figures do not specifically measure birth tourism on tourist visas; CDC data shows just over 9,500 babies were born to foreign women in the US in 2024 out of 3.7 million total births.
Trump administration
The administration cites a 2026 Migration Policy Institute report estimating 22,000-26,000 babies a year and says facilitators have turned birth tourism into a lucrative for-profit industry using forged documents and visa coaching.
Key facts
- Task force
- Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force
- Announced by
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday, August 12
- Visas revoked
- More than 600 in the past month
- Main role
- Review visa holder activities and travel histories worldwide, revoke visas, and dismantle birth tourism networks
- Agencies involved
- State Department, Department of Homeland Security, and other federal agencies
- Context
- Follows an August 6 executive order by President Donald Trump
- Key quote
- "American citizenship is not for sale" - Marco Rubio
- Birth tourism estimates
- CDC: just over 9,500 babies born to foreign women in the US in 2024; Migration Policy Institute: 22,000-26,000 babies a year
Quotes
Secretary of State Marco Rubio
United States Secretary of State
“Elaborate birth tourism rings are profiting off the exploitation of America's laws- coaching foreigners to defraud the US visa system, arranging travel and housing, and even forging documents, all to enable foreign nationals to obtain citizenship for their children.”
telegraphindia.com
wionews.com
“In just one month, the Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force has taken action to revoke more than 600 visas from foreign nationals across the globe and will continue to safeguard our nation from this abuse, American citizenship is not for sale.”
telegraphindia.com
livemint.com
thehansindia.com
Sources
US revokes over 600 visas in major crackdown on birth tourism, Rubio says
Trump admin launches ‘End Birth Tourism’ task force; Rubio says over 600 US visas revoked
Birth tourism crackdown: US revokes more than 600 visas; Marco Rubio says ‘American citizenship is not for sale’
Rubio sets up task force to combat ‘birth tourism’, 600 visas revoked
US revokes over 600 visas in crackdown on birth tourism
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