US Targets Chinese Nationals in Largest Birth Tourism Crackdown

The largest U.S. crackdown on birth tourism has targeted schemes involving Chinese nationals seeking to exploit the immigration system to obtain U.S. citizenship for their children, a State Department spokesperson said Monday.

Hundreds of Chinese nationals have had their visas revoked as part of the broader effort against birth tourism, which the department says aims to protect the integrity of the U.S. immigration system.

“The largest crackdown has been on schemes involving Chinese nationals seeking to exploit America’s immigration system to obtain US citizenship for their children,” the spokesperson said in an email to NTD. “We will not allow foreign nationals or commercial networks from any country to abuse our visa process for financial gain.”

This comes after nearly 900 visas in total had been revoked within 10 days of the establishment of the Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force (BTPTF) by the State Department on Aug. 12.

The task force is part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to prevent foreigners from exploiting the country’s visa system to obtain U.S. citizenship for their children. It aims to identify suspected cases of birth tourism, revoke visas held by those who engage in or facilitate the practice, and dismantle networks that profit from birth tourism.

“President Trump and Secretary Rubio are putting American interests first, strengthening enforcement, and making clear that the United States will not tolerate the deliberate exploitation of its visa process,” the spokesperson said.

The State Department defines birth tourism fraud as using a U.S. visitor visa under false pretenses to travel to the United States primarily to give birth so the child—and potentially the adults in the future—can obtain U.S. citizenship.

The State Department said it is working with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on the issue.

Scale of Chinese Birth Tourism Draws US Scrutiny

More than 107 Chinese-owned surrogacy agencies operate in Southern California, catering almost exclusively to wealthy Chinese clients, with some allegedly linked to Chinese state-owned entities, Rep. Harriet M. Hageman (R-Wyo.) said in August, citing findings by U.S. lawmakers.

Earlier, investigative journalist Peter Schweizer, in a February interview with American Thought Leaders of The Epoch Times, said he estimates birth tourism brings between 50,000 and 100,000 newborns to the United States annually for Chinese nationals.

A 2024 study published in the Journal of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine found that the number of embryo transfers in U.S. surrogacy arrangements commissioned by foreign intended parents increased from 2,758 to 4,905 annually. Chinese nationals accounted for 41.7 percent of the foreign intended-parent group, making them the largest customer segment.

The birth tourism industry’s scale has drawn scrutiny from U.S. officials.

Hageman urged President Donald Trump to work with the State Department and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to “deny visas to individuals who attempt or have participated in international surrogacy arrangements.”

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) urged the Department of Justice to “investigate surrogacy centers operated by foreign nationals” in a February statement. The senators noted that Chinese nationals are “systematically exploiting America’s surrogacy and birthright citizenship laws.” They added that these children born in the United States are “in most cases” flown back to China after birth, and raised “under the direct influence of the Chinese Communist Party.”

“These children will eventually be eligible to vote in American elections, access sensitive positions, or otherwise advance Beijing’s interests, all while owing their allegiance to the CCP,” the senators said.

“They added that this practice raises concerns about whether it is “a deliberate, long-term strategy by an adversary to ideologically and systematically undermine the United States” and that it “poses a serious national security risk.”

Trump Directs US Diplomats to Review Visas

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has directed U.S. diplomats to review certain visa and travel records dating back to 2020 to identify cases of people traveling to the United States to give birth, Politico reported Oct. 9, citing a State Department cable it said it had obtained.

Under a rule introduced by the first Trump administration as early as January 2020, consular officers must deny visitor visas to applicants they have reason to believe intend to travel to the United States primarily to give birth so their child can obtain U.S. citizenship.

“The Trump Administration is using every tool at our disposal to defend the integrity of U.S. citizenship, protect American public benefits and U.S. taxpayers from exploitation, and safeguard our national security,” said Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sept. 23, when announcing a new visa restriction policy targeting foreign nationals who knowingly engage in or facilitate birth tourism.

Gao Shan contributed to this report.

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