US cracks down on birth tourism visa abuse

The United States has announced strict visa restrictions on people involved in or promoting 'birth tourism,' where foreign nationals travel to the US specifically to give birth so their child gains American citizenship. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the policy targets those exploiting the immigration system for profit, including commercial network operators and fraudulent visa fixers.

The move follows President Donald Trump's executive orders in recent months to limit birthright citizenship. The Supreme Court had rejected an earlier order to end citizenship for children of non-citizens born in the US, but the government has proceeded with narrower visa bans on those facilitating the practice. Aaj Tak reports the administration will send a clear message by blocking visas for all involved in this 'fraud.'

The new rule specifically targets commercial birth tourism networks, visa fixers, foreign medical providers abusing Medicaid, and intermediaries. This policy aims to close the loophole of using US birth for automatic citizenship, a practice the government considers an illegal trade in citizenship.