2 weeks ago
600 US visas revoked in birth tourism crackdown: Rubio
The United States is a country where most babies born there become American citizens.
Some people travel to the US just to have their baby born there.
The government says that is called 'birth tourism'.
It says some companies help people do this in a sneaky way, like telling lies on their travel papers.
Top official Marco Rubio said this is not fair, and that 'American citizenship is not for sale.'
His team checked many people and took away more than 600 travel permission documents, called visas, in just one month.
They made a special group to find and stop these companies.
Other people noticed something interesting.
The United States also has a program where rich people can pay millions of dollars to get a path to becoming a citizen.
Some people think that sounds like citizenship is for sale after all.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said more than 600 visas were revoked in a single month in a crackdown on 'birth tourism'.
Rubio declared that 'American citizenship is not for sale' and accused birth tourism rings of coaching foreigners to defraud the US visa system.
The State Department created a Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force to review visa holders' activities and dismantle such networks.
A community note on Rubio's X post pointed to the Trump administration's Gold Card programme, which offers a route to residency and citizenship for contributions of $1-2 million.
President Trump signed an executive order on August 6 giving the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security new powers to act against the practice.
- Who
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the State Department, acting under an executive order from President Trump.
- What
- More than 600 US visas were revoked in a single month as part of a crackdown on 'birth tourism' networks.
- Where
- United States
- When
- August 2026; Rubio's X post was dated August 12, 2026, and President Trump signed the executive order on August 6.
- Why
- To dismantle 'birth tourism' rings accused of coaching foreign nationals to defraud the US visa system to secure citizenship for their children.
Administration's view
Critics' view
Is citizenship for sale?
Administration's view
Rubio and the administration say American citizenship is not for sale and that birth tourism rings exploit US laws by defrauding the visa system.
Critics' view
A community note on Rubio's post highlighted the Gold Card programme, which lets foreign nationals gain US residency and a route to citizenship for a contribution of $1-2 million, suggesting a paid pathway to citizenship exists.
Key facts
- Visas revoked
- More than 600 in a single month
- Announced by
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio
- Announcement date
- August 12, 2026 (post on X)
- Key body
- Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force
- Executive order
- Signed by President Trump on August 6
- Gold Card contribution
- $1 million to $2 million
- Legal backdrop
- Birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868
Quotes
Secretary Marco Rubio
U.S. Secretary of State
“"American citizenship is not for sale"”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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