US to bar, deport birth tourists as Trump orders fresh crackdown

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US President Donald Trump speaks after signing executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on August 7, 2026. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP)

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By Nkiruka Nnorom

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The United States has ordered a major crackdown on birth tourism, with President Donald Trump signing an Executive Order directing federal agencies to deny visas, revoke travel authorizations and deport foreign nationals who enter the country to give birth.

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The order, signed on August 6, 2026, described U.S citizenship as “among the greatest inheritances the nation can bestow” and warned that it was being treated “as a commodity to be acquired through calculated exploitation and evasion of the immigration laws.”

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According to the White House, the measure was aimed at closing loopholes that have allowed foreign nationals to exploit non-immigrant visas to secure citizenship for children born on American soil.

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Under the directive, the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security were given authority to implement the new policy, while all other executive departments and agencies were directed to provide records and information necessary for implementation of the new policy.

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Specifically, the Secretary of State and Secretary of Homeland Security, were directed to prevent the entry of any foreign national attempting to enter the United States for the purpose of birth tourism. The agencies were also mandated to revoke visas and travel authorizations and to permanently bar entry of anyone found to have engaged in the practice.

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In addition, the order empowers both departments to deny entry or remove any ‘alien’ who previously engaged in or plans to engage in birth tourism.

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The Secretaries were further instructed to take action against entities and individuals within and outside the United States responsible for facilitating or enabling birth tourism.

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The directive covers operators, organisations and middlemen accused of coaching clients to misrepresent their travel purpose to consular and border officials.

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The Secretaries were also mandated to update rules, policies and operational guidance to effectuate the policy.

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The White House noted that the policy would promote the integrity of the immigration system and ensure non-immigrant visa classifications were not exploited for permanent immigration benefits.

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President Trump accused birth tourism operators of using deceptive advertisements and inducements and coaching clients to misrepresent their travel purpose to consular and border officials.

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According to the White House, birth tourism undermines the integrity of the US’ immigration system, diverts consular resources from legitimate applicants, erodes public confidence, and impairs national security.

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“The United States has a compelling interest in ensuring that each visa category is used only for the purpose for which it was established,” the order stated.

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The order, however, provides that the Secretary of State or Homeland Security may grant exemptions “on humanitarian grounds or when the foreign national’s entry is in the national interest.”

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President Trump’s effort to end birth tourism is not the first time his administration has moved to restrict birthright citizenship and immigration benefits.

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Since returning to office in January 2025, Trump has made immigration enforcement a central focus of his second term.

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His attempt to end automatic citizenship for children born on US soil received a final blow in the June 2026 ruling that saw the Supreme Court struck down the executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship.

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Despite the Supreme Court ruling, the administration has continued to pursue related enforcement steps.

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The administration has added birth tourism as a specific ground for visa refusal in the Foreign Affairs Manual, and instructed Customs and Border Protection, CBP, officers at airports to question pregnant travelers on tourist visas with the intention of denying them visas.

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The August 6, 2026 order represents the administration’s latest attempt to enforce the policy by focusing not on birthright citizenship itself, but on the method of entry using existing visa and immigration authorities to block and remove those deemed to be engaging in birth tourism.

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