Trump Clamps Down on the Maternity Migration Craze
What’s up? The Donald has plowed his way into the “birth‑tourism” debate by telling folks that baby‑busting visas are officially out.
Why this matters
- He says the “integrity of American citizenship” is at stake.
- Letting anyone hop on a B‑1 or B‑2 visa just to give birth – and bag lifelong American status for a kid – is, in his words, a glaring loophole.
- He claims it’s a “public safety” move, too, plus a way to keep an eye on national‑security risks.
- Proceeds from “birth tourism” might be feeding hospitals and feeding a crime ring – the White House wants to shut the door on that.
- It’s also about protecting taxpayers: “no more money siphoned away for birth‑tourism costs.”
New rule‑in‑play
Effective Friday, U.S. consular officers will refuse B‑1/B‑2 visas to anyone they suspect is heading to the U.S. just to have a baby.
How thumbs down? Consular staff won’t be made to sexually check female applicants or run a pregnancy test.
Think of it as a “no‑perks” crackdown.
How many kiddos are we talking about?
- Center for Immigration Studies counts 33 000 students born in the U.S. in just a year (mid‑2016‑mid‑2017).
- By comparison, the U.S. had about 3.8 million births that same season.
- Last year, law‑enforcement busted three ring schemes in California for wiring Chinese nationals into the U.S. for birthing.
- Some “tourism” operators are charging as much as $100 000 for a single trip.
Trump’s long‑standing mission
He’s been fighting illegal immigration for a while and is halfway to 2024.
Remember his past threat? He’s even floated scrapping birthright citizenship altogether.
The bottom line
In a nutshell: The White House has put a stop to what it thinks is a sneaky way to get permanent American status for a newborn. Any plan to sweeten the deal through B‑visa process is now dead in the water. The real question: Will this stop people from finding alternative ways, or will the world just keep its herd of maternity migrations running?
