Ending Birth Tourism

What it does

• •Directs the Secretary of State and Secretary of Homeland Security to prevent entry or deny visas to foreign nationals who enter or attempt to enter the United States on nonimmigrant visas for the purpose of giving birth.
• •Authorizes revocation of visas, permanent bars to entry, and removal of aliens who engage in or plan to engage in birth tourism.
• •Permits action against entities, organizations, or individuals within or outside the United States that facilitate or enable birth tourism.
• •Allows exemptions on humanitarian grounds or when entry is deemed in the national interest at the discretion of the Secretaries of State or Homeland Security.

Why it matters

• •The order frames birth tourism as undermining immigration system integrity by allowing exploitation of temporary visa categories to obtain permanent citizenship benefits for foreign nationals and their children.
• •The Executive Branch asserts that addressing birth tourism will restore public confidence in immigration law enforcement and redirect consular resources from combating these schemes to processing legitimate visa applications.

Who is affected

• •Foreign nationals seeking entry to the United States on nonimmigrant visas who intend to give birth while in the country.
• •Birth tourism operators, facilitators, and service providers that arrange or enable such travel within or outside the United States.
• •Consular officials and border enforcement personnel responsible for visa issuance and entry screening.

What happens next

The Secretaries of State and Homeland Security shall update rules, policies, and operational guidance to implement the order's directives, with all other relevant executive departments required to provide supporting records and information.