US cancels over 6,000 visas in birth tourism crackdown

The US government is stepping up its immigration control. The State Department has canceled over 6,000 visas belonging to foreigners involved in birth tourism.

The department announced this on Thursday through its X account. Their Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force has revoked visas for people identified as part of this practice.

“The Department of State’s Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force has now revoked more than 6,000 visas from foreigners who engaged in or facilitated birth tourism,” the post stated.

The task force mentioned that it is still identifying and “holding accountable everyone involved in this illicit practice.” This suggests that more visas could be canceled in the future.

Birth tourism means going to another country, usually while pregnant, to give birth. This allows the child to get that country’s citizenship or nationality by birth.

This new action shows a broader crackdown on both the participants and those who help arrange such travel.

Last month, the department announced it had canceled over 4,000 visas. Out of those, 700 belonged to Chinese nationals.

The latest announcement did not break down the numbers by nationality. So, it is unclear if Nigerians were among those affected.

A key part of President Donald Trump’s “America first” policy has been a crackdown on immigration.

During his presidential campaigns, he promised to increase deportations, limit asylum and refugee admissions, and tighten both illegal and some legal immigration pathways.

Since taking office, Mr. Trump has put several policies in place that align with this agenda. At his inauguration, he signed an executive order declaring illegal immigration a national emergency. He also ordered the rapid deportation of undocumented migrants.

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s crackdown on migrants has faced criticism for human rights violations over the past year.

The Trump administration also placed visa bans on several countries, including Nigeria.

It is planning to introduce a new policy. This would require foreign nationals in the US wanting to change from temporary visas to permanent residency to return to their home countries to apply for a Green Card.