US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sent an internal email on 9/4, instructing agents nationwide to focus on a new operation called the "Birth Tourism Initiative," according to documents accessed and published today by Reuters.
The operation aims to eradicate networks assisting pregnant foreign nationals entering the US and facilitating their children's US citizenship under birthright citizenship rules. This is among the fraudulent activities President Donald Trump has frequently cited to advance efforts to eliminate birthright citizenship in the US.
ICE's new operation, led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), aims to expose fraudulent cases and dismantle organized networks exploiting immigration loopholes.
US authorities have previously handled similar cases. In 2019, more than 10 individuals were charged with operating "maternity hotels" in southern California, catering to wealthy women from Asia engaging in birth tourism.
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US border patrol agents check passenger passports at an airport. Photo: DHS |
"Unchecked birth tourism is an enormous cost to taxpayers and a threat to national security," stated White House spokesperson Anna Kelly, adding that most countries worldwide do not grant automatic citizenship at birth.
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has not announced any investigations into birth-for-citizenship fraud, but stated it has information regarding several organized "birth tourism" networks in the US.
DHS clarified that while giving birth in the US is not illegal, the agency has a division to identify and address federal law violations. A 2020 regulation from Trump's first term prohibited the use of tourist or business visas for the actual purpose of obtaining citizenship for a child. Individuals involved in such schemes may face prosecution for fraud or related offenses.
There are no official figures on the number of foreign nationals entering the US for birth tourism or the specific costs incurred by taxpayers. However, the Center for Immigration Studies estimates that between 20,000 and 25,000 mothers arrived in the US for this purpose during 2016-2017. Compared to 3,6 million births in the US in 2025, this figure represents a small percentage.
Republicans continue to view this as a key reason to restrict birthright citizenship, which has long been enshrined in the US Constitution. On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order directing agencies not to recognize the citizenship of children born in the US if neither parent is a citizen nor a legal permanent resident. This order is highly controversial as it breaks with over a century of legal precedent.
Last week at the Supreme Court, US government lawyer D. John Sauer argued that the "born in the US is a US citizen" rule has fostered a "sprawling birth tourism industry." He warned that this attracts thousands from "potentially hostile nations," creating a generation of US citizens who lack loyalty to the US.
Thanh Danh (According to Reuters)
