The US State Department announced the creation of the Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force to identify and act against foreigners who travel to the United States to give birth and secure US citizenship for their children.
The task force was established on the instructions of US President Donald Trump and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to the State Department.
The department is working jointly with the US Department of Homeland Security to detect non-immigrant visa holders who use their status for purposes other than those intended, including childbirth for citizenship acquisition.
Visas of individuals identified as engaging in or brokering birth tourism have been revoked, with more than 600 foreign nationals affected in the operation.
Revoked in the birth tourism crackdown
The task force reviews travel histories and activities to uncover intermediaries who offer services such as 'birth in the US,' visa counseling, hospital arrangements, and in some cases, fake health documents or advice to conceal the true purpose of travel.
Citizenship is not a commodity to be obtained through the planned exploitation of immigration laws.
The State Department warned that foreigners who intentionally misrepresent their travel purpose may become permanently ineligible for a US visa or entry to the country.
The department also stated it will continue actions against birth tourism and is focused on dismantling organizations that profit from the practice.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on social media that the US is conducting a large-scale operation against 'birth tourism networks.'
The Trump administration has previously sought to change the constitutional provision that grants automatic citizenship to children born in the US, and initiated legal proceedings to abolish that right — a request rejected by the US Supreme Court.
