- Trump administration intensifies crackdown on birth tourism, banning visas for foreign nationals with intentions to give birth
- Stephen Miller claims new measures will end abuse of the US immigration system regarding birthright citizenship
- Miller controversially links immigration to New York schoolchildren’s reading difficulties without providing supporting evidence
Pascal Oparada is a journalist with Legit.ng, covering technology, energy, stocks, investment, and the economy for over a decade.
The Donald Trump administration has intensified its crackdown on so-called “birth tourism,” with the White House reaffirming that foreign nationals cannot obtain US visas for the purpose of travelling to America to give birth and secure citizenship for their children.
The White House on Saturday shared remarks by Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Adviser Stephen Miller, who described the administration’s latest action as a major immigration policy shift.
Credit: Novatis
Source: Twitter
White House declares birth tourism banned
Miller said the executive order signed by Trump effectively prohibits people from obtaining US visas for what the administration considers the fraudulent purpose of giving birth in the country to secure citizenship for their children.
He described the measure as one of the administration’s most important actions, arguing that it would end what he called a serious abuse of the American immigration system.
The Trump administration uses the term “birth tourism” to describe cases where foreign nationals travel to the United States with the intention of giving birth there so their children can potentially obtain US citizenship.
The latest move follows Trump’s renewed efforts to restrict birthright citizenship after the US Supreme Court previously rejected an earlier attempt to end the longstanding policy through executive action.
How the US plans to identify birth tourists
Miller said immigration authorities would rely on existing provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act when determining whether applicants were genuinely visiting the US as tourists or had concealed plans to give birth.
He argued that people who tell consular officers they are travelling for tourism while allegedly intending to give birth in the US could be considered to have committed fraud against the government.
Trump has repeatedly criticised birthright citizenship, claiming that large numbers of people exploit the policy.
However, questions remain over the scale of birth tourism in the US. During Supreme Court proceedings, Solicitor General John Sauer acknowledged that the government did not know the exact number of people involved, despite citing various media and congressional estimates.
Trump calls birthright citizenship unfair
Trump has described the Supreme Court’s earlier decision on birthright citizenship as unfortunate and said his administration was making adjustments following the ruling.
Under the US system, citizenship by birth is generally linked to the principle of jus soli, which grants citizenship based on place of birth, although citizenship laws vary widely around the world.
Miller makes fresh immigration claim
Credit: Novatis
Source: Getty Images
In a separate development, Miller linked reported reading difficulties among New York schoolchildren to immigration, citing figures he posted on X.
He claimed that a significant proportion of children in the state were foreign-born or children of migrants and suggested immigration was being overlooked in debates about education.
However, Miller did not provide a source for the figures, while his post did not establish a direct connection between immigration and the reported reading performance of New York pupils.
Trump restricts birthright citizenship
Legit.ng earlier reported that President Trump’s recent executive orders target birthright citizenship and the commercial birth tourism industry.
This move reignites the debate over citizenship rights in the US, especially considering the Supreme Court’s previous striking down of similar attempts, raising questions about the future ramifications for families and the immigration system.
Source: Legit.ng