From this date... Trump administration targets entry of 'pregnant tourists' to the United States

2026-07-04T11:05:25.128Z

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump began tightening visa issuance procedures and cracking down on so-called 'birth tourism' as of July 3, 2026, one day after losing before the Supreme Court, which affirmed the constitutionality of birthright citizenship under the Fourteenth Amendment. The step includes prioritizing investigations into suspected cases of travel for childbirth...

Less than 24 hours after losing before the U.S. Supreme Court over the 'birthright citizenship' case, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump began implementing a new approach to counter so-called 'birth tourism,' by tightening visa issuance procedures and targeting pregnant women suspected of traveling to the United States for the purpose of giving birth to children who automatically obtain U.S. citizenship.

This step comes after the Supreme Court upheld birthright citizenship and invalidated the executive order Trump signed at the start of his second term, which aimed to deny citizenship to children born in the United States to parents holding temporary visas or residing illegally.

Implementation begins

The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed that the new procedures began as of July 3, 2026, with authorities directed to prioritize investigations into cases related to 'birth tourism,' while tightening scrutiny on visa applications suspected of having the real purpose of giving birth in the United States.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said that a pregnant woman coming to the United States for the purpose of obtaining U.S. citizenship for her child 'constitutes a violation of immigration laws,' affirming that the administration is considering tightening visa issuance for women in advanced stages of pregnancy if there are indicators that the purpose of travel is childbirth.

Legal prosecution

Assistant Attorney General for the Fraud Section, Colin McDonald, issued a memo considering that exploiting visas for this purpose constitutes fraud on the U.S. immigration system, affirming that the Justice Department will prosecute anyone who provides or promotes 'birth tourism' services, whether individuals, companies, or intermediaries, on charges that may include:

Visa fraud.

Providing false information to U.S. authorities.

Money laundering.

Wire fraud.

Conspiracy to achieve illegal financial gain.

What does this mean for female travelers?

Under the new procedures, pregnancy alone will not be grounds for visa denial, but consular officers and immigration authorities will pay greater attention to cases where evidence indicates that the primary purpose of travel is to give birth in the United States.

Some applicants will be required to provide additional justifications regarding the purpose of travel, its duration, financial capacity, and a plan to return to the country of residence, with the possibility of visa denial if an intention to use it to obtain U.S. citizenship for the newborn is found.

Supreme Court: Citizenship is a constitutional right

Despite the tightened procedures, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed that birthright citizenship remains protected under the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, and therefore any child born on U.S. soil remains eligible for U.S. citizenship, except for children of foreign diplomats.

Therefore, the Trump administration chose to focus on preventing the entry of suspected cases before they reach the United States, rather than attempting to change the constitutional rule that the court confirmed remains in effect.

Birth tourism numbers

Independent estimates cited by Axios indicate that the number of women traveling annually to the United States for childbirth ranges between 20,000 and 26,000 women, a limited figure compared to total births in the United States, which reached about 3.6 million births in 2025.

Observers believe that the new procedures could lead to unprecedented tightening in the screening of visa applications, especially for pregnant women, without affecting the constitutional ruling that guarantees U.S. citizenship to everyone born on U.S. soil.