The Trump administration has made a commitment to address the issue of birthright citizenship, particularly in response to a recent Supreme Court decision affirming it. They are planning to intensify efforts against foreign birth tourism programs.
A statement released by the Department of Justice (DOJ) shortly after the court’s ruling outlined their intention to prioritize prosecutions related to these operations across the nation.
The initiative aims to curb the practice where foreign women travel to the U.S. to give birth, thereby granting their children automatic citizenship, often referred to as “anchor babies.” This arrangement can help families pursue citizenship or a visa.
The DOJ remarked, “Maternity tourism programs take advantage of immigration laws and frequently break criminal statutes. Those attempting to exploit this loophole for automatic citizenship for their offspring pose a national security risk and will face legal action.”
A recent report highlighted a particularly notable case of alleged birth tourism. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against the Daeye Postpartum Care Center, asserting it has facilitated birth plans leading to over 1,000 anchor babies over the past two decades.
According to Paxton, most clients of this operation are Chinese nationals, with multiple facilities accommodating an average of 20 births daily.
However, the birth tourism issue is not limited to Texas. Reports suggest that around 1.5 million babies born in the U.S. are being dealt with in China, supported by approximately 1,000 birth tourism companies.
A significant chunk of this industry is concentrated in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, where a visa waiver program allowed Chinese nationals to stay without a visa for up to 45 days. This led to high fees charged by companies catering to these families.
In mid-June, the U.S. State Department and its Embassy in China declared their decision to phase out this illegal birth tourism by no longer granting tourist visas to individuals whose primary purpose is to give birth and gain U.S. citizenship for their children.
The announcement followed reports of raids targeting birth tourism networks in several regions, including West Africa, Europe, and North Africa, each linked to over 100 newborns. “A U.S. visa is a privilege, not a right,” the statement emphasized, indicating a global effort to dismantle these networks and bring those involved to justice.
The Department of Homeland Security is also stepping up efforts to tackle fraudulent maternity travel plans, focusing on organized networks exploiting legitimate immigration processes.
It’s worth noting that President Trump once attempted to eliminate birthright citizenship via executive order. In light of the court’s ruling, which rejected his proposed changes, he hailed it as a “huge victory for birthright citizenship” and congratulated both President Xi and China.
Trump has also urged Congress to act quickly on legislation to bring an end to birthright citizenship, suggesting that an extensive constitutional amendment isn’t necessary.
