In what appears to be a new rule, the State Department on Thursday gave visa officers more power to block pregnant women from visiting the United States and directed them to stop “birth tourism”, trips designed to obtain citizenship for their children.The visas covered by the new rule are issued to those seeking to visit for pleasure, medical treatment or to see friends and family.
Conservatives have long railed against what they call “anchor babies,” born on American soil and used by their parents to bring in other family members. President Trump has also criticized the constitutional provision that grants citizenship to most babies born on American soil.
It is not clear whether such “birth tourism” is a significant phenomenon or that “anchor babies” do lead to substantial immigration, but many conservatives believe both issues are real and serious. The Trump administration has repeatedly moved to allay conservative immigration concerns, which President Trump has often stoked.
“Birth tourism poses risks to national security,” Carl C. Risch, assistant secretary for consular affairs at the State Department, wrote in the final rule. “The birth tourism industry is also rife with criminal activity, including international criminal schemes.”
Although, consular officers would unlikely not grant a visa to women who they believed were travelling to the United States solely to give birth. But with the new rule, the White House seems to be signalling to officers abroad that those close to delivering a child would be added to a growing list of immigrants unwelcome in the US.
Speaking on the new rule, White House Press Secretary, Stephanie Grisham, noted that the new rule seeks to stop those who seek “automatic and permanent American citizenship for their children by giving birth on American soil.”
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