The Trump administration is planning to introduce new visa restrictions aimed at restricting “birth tourism,” whereby women travel to the U.S. to give birth so that their children automatically become U.S. citizens, according to officials.
The new rules would make it harder for pregnant women to travel on a tourist visa. In one draft of the regulations, pregnant women would have to convince a consular officer that they have another legitimate reason to come to the U.S. before obtaining the visa.
The State Department planned to publicize the rules Thursday, according to two officials with knowledge of the plans who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.
A spokesperson said the rules are “intended to address the national security and law enforcement risks associated with birth tourism, including criminal activity associated with the birth tourism industry.”
It remains unclear how officers would determine whether a woman is pregnant to begin with, and whether a woman could get turned away by border officers who suspect she could be just by looking at her. – READ MORE