Sen. Blackburn targets birth tourism, ‘buying American citizenship’ in support of Trump’s immigration agenda

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., introduced new legislation Tuesday aimed at dismantling the multimillion-dollar birth tourism industry that allows foreign nationals to use America’s immigration system to secure automatic citizenship for their children.

The Ban Birth Tourism Act, introduced in the U.S. Senate, would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to declare inadmissible any foreign national seeking a tourist visa for the primary purpose of giving birth in the United States.

Those births automatically trigger U.S. citizenship for the child, a long-criticized loophole that opens the door to future family-sponsored migration.

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Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., introduced new legislation Tuesday aimed at dismantling the multimillion-dollar birth tourism industry that allows foreign nationals to use America’s immigration system to secure automatic citizenship for their children. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Blackburn’s bill, which was read twice and referred to committee, includes a provision to protect legitimate medical travelers. If the primary reason for entry is medical treatment rather than citizenship acquisition, those cases would not be blocked.

“For too long, foreign nationals have been exploiting our nation’s immigration laws, taking advantage of the system to come to the United States solely to give birth and obtain citizenship for their children,” Blackburn said in a press release. 

“The Ban Birth Tourism Act would prevent foreign nationals, including those from adversaries like Communist China and Russia, from buying American citizenship for their children. As President Trump works to end birthright citizenship, we need to get this bill to his desk.”

The push comes as the Trump administration intensifies its focus on restoring immigration integrity in the president’s second term. During his first term, President Trump repeatedly vowed to end automatic citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants and tourists.

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The push comes as the Trump administration intensifies its focus on restoring immigration integrity in the president’s second term. During his first term, President Trump repeatedly vowed to end automatic citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants and tourists. (JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images)

In 2020, the State Department under his administration began denying visas to suspected birth tourists, a move hailed by immigration enforcement advocates.

Birth tourism is far from a fringe phenomenon. According to conservative immigration policy analysts, the industry accounts for at least 33,000 births annually to women on temporary visas. These children, upon turning 21, can legally sponsor their parents for green cards, offering a backdoor into the U.S. immigration system. 

A 2015 report by the Center for Immigration Studies estimated the practice generates millions of dollars for companies that specialize in bringing pregnant foreigners, primarily from Russia and China, to the U.S. These firms often charge tens of thousands of dollars for packages that include visa coaching, hospital stays, and luxury accommodations.

President Trump has moved to end birthright citizenship during his second administration. (Katie Muir Stankiewicz/Exchange Club of Mooresville and Lake Norman)

In one of the largest federal crackdowns to date, the former Trump administration’s Department of Justice in 2019 charged nearly 20 individuals in Southern California for operating extensive birth tourism networks targeting Chinese nationals.

Prosecutors accused the businesses of coaching clients to lie to immigration officials about the purpose of their travel, a tactic common among such operations.

Blackburn’s bill would codify into law the inadmissibility of any traveler seeking to exploit this loophole, ensuring that birthright citizenship cannot be used as a ticket to game the system. 

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The Office of Senator Marsha Blackburn referred Fox News Digital to a Tuesday press release.