The United States has revoked more than 600 visas from foreign nationals in the past month as part of a Trump administration crackdown on so-called “”, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday.
The followed the creation of a Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force by the State Department to identify people allegedly abusing the US visa system, dismantle networks facilitating and prevent what the administration describes as the exploitation of US citizenship laws.
“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,” he added.
The crackdown comes after an August 6 executive order issued by President Donald Trump as his administration intensifies efforts to tighten immigration enforcement.
What is birth tourism?
generally refers to foreign nationals travelling to the US, often while pregnant, with the intention of giving birth so that their child can obtain US citizenship under current law.
The State Department said facilitators have turned the practice into a “for-profit industry”, offering services ranging from visa coaching and travel arrangements to housing and hospital coordination.
According to the department, some operators allegedly coach applicants to conceal the real purpose of their travel, forge medical documents or misrepresent information on visa applications.
The task force has been created to identify such activity by analysing travel and visa information held by the State Department and other federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security.
Global review of visa holders
The State Department said the task force is examining travel histories of visa holders worldwide to identify potential cases of birth tourism and take action against people involved in facilitating it.
The department generally revokes visas when there are indications that a visa holder may be ineligible. It also noted that the Secretary of State has broad discretionary authority to revoke visas.
The Trump administration said it intends to use that authority to protect the integrity of the US immigration system.
State Department cites examples of alleged fraud
The department’s fact sheet highlighted several cases it said demonstrated how applicants attempted to conceal their actual travel purposes.
In one case, a couple allegedly used a conference and vacation-shopping trips as cover for travelling to the US to give birth to two children. The department said they lied about their purpose of travel on two separate visa applications and concealed the existence of their first child during the second application. Their visas were revoked.
In another case, a foreign government official reportedly obtained a visa for a one-week official trip but remained in the US for three months and gave birth before leaving. The department said her visa was subsequently revoked.
A third case involved a traveller who said she intended to vacation in Orlando but instead travelled to Los Angeles and gave birth five days after arriving in the US. Her visa was also revoked.
Rubio warns crackdown will continue
The State Department said people who deliberately misrepresent the purpose of their travel or entry into the US can face permanent visa or entry ineligibility.
Rubio said the administration would continue using available tools to dismantle networks that facilitate birth tourism.
“Citizenship is not a commodity to be acquired through calculated exploitation and evasion of the immigration laws,” the State Department said.
The department warned that foreign nationals who abuse the US visa system, as well as those who assist them, could lose their visas and future access to the United States.
“This is only the beginning,” the department said.
