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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Crime & Justice

US tightens crackdown on birth tourism, revokes hundreds of visas

From Republika · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • The U.S. has revoked 750 visas to prevent foreign nationals from traveling to the U.S. for birth tourism.
  • The State Department has established a task force to combat this practice, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio reporting the revocation of 600 visas initially.
  • The enforcement measures include entry denial, visa revocation, deportation, and permanent travel bans for those involved in birth tourism.

The United States is intensifying its crackdown on "birth tourism," the practice of foreign nationals traveling to the U.S. to give birth and obtain U.S. citizenship for their children. The State Department has revoked a total of 750 visas as part of this effort, with an additional 150 visas being canceled in recent days. This action stems from a newly formed task force aimed at preventing individuals from entering the U.S. under false pretenses to exploit birthright citizenship laws.

Tommy Pigott, a spokesperson for the State Department, confirmed the increased visa revocations, stating that the measures target individuals involved in birth tourism networks and those who enter the U.S. on non-immigrant visas with the intent to give birth. Pigott cited instances where individuals misrepresented their travel intentions, staying for extended periods and receiving guidance on defrauding American citizens and evading medical bills.

In just a few days, since we announced this task force, the number has actually reached more than 750 visas revoked. An additional 150 visas have been revoked just in the last few days.

— Tommy PigottState Department spokesperson, detailing the recent visa revocations related to birth tourism.

Earlier in August, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to prohibit birth tourism. The policy outlines strict enforcement measures, including barring entry, revoking visas, deporting individuals, and imposing permanent travel bans on foreign nationals engaged in this practice. Chris Ingram, a lawyer specializing in immigration, noted that U.S. authorities have the power to deport pregnant foreign women as part of these enforcement actions.

The U.S. government's intensified actions signal a firm stance against birth tourism, aiming to deter individuals from exploiting the U.S. immigration system for citizenship advantages. The measures are designed to ensure that visas are used for their intended purposes and to uphold the integrity of U.S. citizenship laws.

We have examples of people coming to the United States claiming to be on vacation for a week, but staying up to five months and receiving instructions on how to defraud American people and not pay their medical bills.

— Tommy PigottState Department spokesperson, describing the deceptive practices of birth tourists.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Republika in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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