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ICE launches 'Birth Tourism Initiative' to target networks facilitating citizenship schemes

Apr 10, 2026

ICE launches 'Birth Tourism Initiative' to target networks facilitating citizenship schemes

The Trump administration announced a new ICE operation targeting networks that help pregnant foreign nationals come to the U.S. to give birth so their children can obtain citizenship. While giving birth in the U.S. is not unlawful, federal regulation prohibits using temporary visas for the primary purpose of obtaining citizenship for newborns, and violators could face fraud or related criminal charges. The administration characterizes birth tourism as a cost to taxpayers and national security threat, though DHS acknowledges the practice itself is not explicitly illegal.

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