Trump Admin Targets Birth Tourism: 600+ Visas Revoked, New Task Force Established

The Trump administration has launched a new Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force as the US State Department steps up action against foreign nationals accused of travelling to America primarily to give birth.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said more than 600 visas have already been revoked.
Photo : AP

The Trump administration has created a new Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force to identify foreign nationals suspected of travelling to the United States primarily to give birth, with the US State Department saying it has already revoked more than 600 visas as part of the crackdown. The department said the task force will review visa-holder activity worldwide, examine travel histories and coordinate information with agencies including the Department of Homeland Security.

The move is part of President Donald Trump’s broader immigration crackdown and comes amid renewed efforts to prevent what the administration describes as the misuse of US immigration and citizenship rules. Officials say the focus will be on people who deliberately conceal the purpose of their travel and networks that facilitate such trips.

US Targets Birth Tourism Networks

The State Department has accused some facilitators of turning birth tourism into a commercial business by advertising packages that can include visa coaching, accommodation and hospital arrangements. It also alleges that some operators coach applicants to conceal their intentions or use forged medical documents.

The department cited cases where travellers allegedly used conferences or holidays as cover before giving birth in the US. In another case, a foreign government official reportedly entered the country for official business, stayed for around three months and gave birth. Visas in both cases were revoked.

The department has warned that people who deliberately misrepresent the purpose of their travel could become permanently ineligible for a US visa or admission. The enforcement effort is expected to focus particularly on visitor visa holders suspected of travelling primarily for childbirth.

Birthright Citizenship Fight Adds Context

The crackdown comes alongside Trump’s broader attempt to restrict birthright citizenship. The administration has issued executive orders targeting citizenship for certain children born in the US, measures that have prompted legal challenges from civil rights groups.

The Supreme Court’s June 30 decision in Trump v. Barbara also forms part of the wider legal dispute over the administration’s approach to birthright citizenship. The ruling held that children born in the US to parents unlawfully or temporarily present are citizens at birth under the Fourteenth Amendment’s Citizenship Clause.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/world/us/us-news/trump-admin-targets-birth-tourism-600-visas-revoked-new-task-force-established-article-155609910

 

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