The Trump Administration will announce a new State Department policy meant to curb birth tourism in the U.S., according to reports.
The change, according to a State Department official, “is intended to address the national security and law enforcement risks associated with birth tourism, including criminal activity associated with the birth tourism industry.”
Axios reports that the new rule is part of the Trump administration’s plan for more vigorous vetting processes for visas.
Birth tourism has been a concern for border security activists for years, and the Center for Immigration Studies estimates that between 2016 and 2017, 33,000 babies were born to women on tourist visas who then left the country.
The rule would “alter the requirements for B visas (or visitor visas), giving State Department officials the authority to deny foreigners the short-term business and tourism visas if they believe the process is being used to facilitate automatic citizenship,” writes Axios.
Many officials in the Trump administration have been critical of birthright citizenship, and ABC points out that DHS official Ken Cuccinelli believes a constitutional amendment would not be necessary to change the system.
“I do not believe you need an amendment to the Constitution,” Cuccinelli told reporters in October. “I think the question is do you need congressional action or can the executive act on their own.”
Read the full report HERE.
