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US revokes visas of women who gave birth on tourist visas
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic /Crime & Justice

US revokes visas of women who gave birth on tourist visas

From Diario Libre · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement New plan
  • The U.S. State Department has established a task force to combat maternity tourism.
  • The unit will identify and revoke visas for foreigners using tourist visas to give birth in the U.S. and obtain citizenship for their children.
  • Facilitators of this practice, who profit from it, will also be targeted, with over 600 visas already revoked.

The United States is cracking down on "maternity tourism" with a new task force aimed at identifying and revoking visas for foreigners who use tourist visas to give birth in the U.S. The State Department announced the initiative, which seeks to dismantle networks profiting from this practice and deter individuals from using it to secure U.S. citizenship for their children.

The new unit will review the activities and travel histories of visa holders in different countries to detect possible cases of maternity tourism, revoke the documents of those who participate or facilitate this practice, and dismantle the networks that obtain economic benefits from it.

— U.S. State DepartmentDescribing the function of the newly created task force.

The newly formed unit will scrutinize the travel histories and activities of visa holders globally. Those found to be participating in or facilitating maternity tourism face visa revocation. The department has already revoked over 600 visas as part of these efforts, adding to the more than 175,000 visas canceled recently for various reasons. This task force will collaborate with the Department of Homeland Security to cross-reference information and detect fraudulent patterns.

The task force has already revoked more than 600 visas from foreign citizens from different parts of the world as part of these actions.

— U.S. State DepartmentDetailing the immediate impact of the new initiative.

The State Department emphasized that visas can be canceled if there are indications of ineligibility. The Trump administration has highlighted maternity tourism as a lucrative industry, with facilitators posing as doulas or wellness advocates while offering services for childbirth in the U.S., visa assistance, and hospital arrangements. Some operators are accused of falsifying medical documents, advising clients to conceal their true intentions, and helping them evade hospital bills.

The department indicated that it generally revokes visas when there are indications that a person may be ineligible to maintain them.

— U.S. State DepartmentExplaining the grounds for visa cancellation.

Advertisements online reportedly promise "automatic citizenship" and enhanced future immigration prospects for families. The U.S. government warns that individuals who intentionally misrepresent their travel purpose when applying for a visa or entering the country could face permanent bans on obtaining U.S. visas or entering the country.

Maternity tourism has become a lucrative industry in which individuals and organizations participate, offering services to facilitate the travel of pregnant women to the United States.

— U.S. State DepartmentCharacterizing the practice being targeted.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Diario Libre in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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