The Trump administration has revoked at least 4,000 visas tied to birth tourism, the practice of traveling to the United States to give birth so the child receives U.S. citizenship, the White House announced on October 20. The State Department’s Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force has revoked more than 700 visas held by Chinese nationals since its August launch.
The crackdown follows the Supreme Court’s June 30 ruling in Trump v. Barbara, which rejected Trump’s January 2025 executive order limiting birthright citizenship by a 6–3 vote.
On August 6, Trump signed two orders targeting birth tourism. At the Oval Office signing, he called the ruling a “very unfortunate decision” and said the birth tourism order “keeps American citizenship sacred,” according to CNN.
Ending Birth Tourism directs the State Department and Department of Homeland Security to deny or revoke visas, deny entry, and remove foreign nationals who engage in or plan to engage in birth tourism. It also targets facilitators, accusing operators of deceptive advertising and visa abuse that divert consular resources and undermine national security.
As detailed in my previous reporting, birth tourism agencies have marketed comprehensive packages to Chinese clients, combining visa assistance, airport transfers, housing, meals, medical referrals, and newborn documentation. Some also supplied maternity caregivers to supervise the traditional month-long postpartum recovery, handling arrangements from the visa interview through the family’s return to China.
The businesses could operate at substantial scale. One agency maintained more than 15 properties in Los Angeles and San Francisco and handled between 600 and 1,000 pregnant clients annually. Operators coached women on visa interviews and sometimes recommended entering through Las Vegas or Hawaii, where they believed screening would be easier. Federal prosecutions have also cited money laundering and fraudulent applications for discounted hospital care.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force on August 12. “American citizenship is not for sale,” he wrote on X, accusing birth tourism rings of coaching applicants to defraud the visa system. The task force reviews travel histories using State Department and Homeland Security data. The Justice Department has also directed prosecutors to prioritize prosecutions involving birth tourism.
