Fact Sheet - President Donald J. Trump Is Taking Action to End Birth Tourism, Protect National Security, and Curb the Abuse of Public Resources

COMBATTING BIRTH TOURISM: President Donald J. Trump is taking action to combat birth tourism.

• The Administration is taking action to end "birth tourism" – a practice in which aliens travel to the United States with the purpose of giving birth to gain citizenship for their children.
  • Organizations bring in large numbers of aliens to systematically exploit this loophole and unfairly provide citizenship for their children.
  • Most birth tourism groups charge tens of thousands of dollars, which often doesn't include coverage for medical care.
  • Groups are flown to the United States and often brought to motels, whose owners are also often complicit in the scheme.
• The State Department will stop issuing temporary visitor visas to applicants who are traveling to the United States to engage in birth tourism.
• The Administration's new rule makes clear that attempting to improperly provide citizenship for one's child through birth tourism is not a legitimate grounds for obtaining a visitor visa.
  • Visas will still be issued to aliens whose purpose of travel is consistent with permissible business and pleasure activities.
• Citizenship is the crown jewel of the American immigration system and must be vigorously protected from exploitation.

PROTECTING NATIONAL SECURITY: The Administration's action addresses the national security and law enforcement risks associated with birth tourism.

• Birth tourism could allow foreign governments to exploit birth tourism in manners that threaten the security of the United States.
• Foreign governments could exploit this vulnerability to recruit individuals who were born as the result of birth tourism and raised overseas, without attachment to the United States.
• Through birth tourism, foreign nationals are able to have their children avoid the scrutiny and procedures they would normally undergo if they became citizens through naturalization.
• Organized criminal networks have taken advantage of the birth tourism loophole at the expense of American citizens.
  • Businesses in the birth tourism industry have engaged in widespread immigration fraud and money laundering.

PRESERVING OUR PUBLIC RESOURCES: Addressing birth tourism continues President Trump's efforts to safeguard our Nation's public benefits from abuse.

• The Administration's action will protect our social welfare system from abuse by foreign nationals using our welfare system to pay for the births of their children.
• Last year, the Administration took action to ensure that if aliens want to enter or remain in the United States, they must support themselves and not rely on public benefits.
• The President issued a proclamation suspending the entry of aliens who financially burden the American healthcare system.
• The Administration proposed a rule to require the verification of immigration status for anyone seeking to access public housing benefits.