WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department has uncovered and disrupted several alleged birth tourism networks operating across West Africa, Europe and North Africa, officials said, as the administration intensifies efforts to combat visa fraud and the use of visitor visas for childbirth.
The networks allegedly involved fraudulent documents, visa intermediaries and other services designed to help foreign nationals obtain U.S. visas and travel to the country primarily to give birth, with the expectation that their children would receive U.S. citizenship.
The Daily Wire first reported the State Department’s findings in June, citing information provided by U.S. officials. The department subsequently outlined several investigations conducted by American embassies overseas.
Investigations Span Three Regions
In West Africa, a U.S. embassy uncovered what the State Department described as a sophisticated network involving more than 100 foreign nationals. Officials said the individuals allegedly used fraudulent documents and visa “fixers” to obtain visas for travel to the United States.
The department said it shut down the operation, revoked the visas involved and began coordinating with local authorities to identify similar schemes.
A separate investigation in Europe identified more than 400 suspected birth tourism cases dating back to 2024. According to the State Department, investigators traced the activity to at least six companies that allegedly coached applicants on how to respond during visa interviews, arranged accommodations in the United States and coordinated plans for childbirth. Officials said the operation was disrupted, visas were revoked and several individuals accused of facilitating the activity were permanently barred from traveling to the United States.
In North Africa, another U.S. embassy revoked more than 100 visas issued to individuals whom officials said had traveled to the United States primarily to give birth. Consular officers reportedly worked with law enforcement and used data-analysis tools to identify networks suspected of exploiting the visa system.
Birth Tourism Already Restricted Under Visa Rules
The State Department has long prohibited using a visitor visa primarily for the purpose of giving birth in the United States to obtain citizenship for a child. Its current guidance explicitly states that such travel is not permissible on a visitor visa.
The department first formally amended its regulations addressing birth tourism in 2020, directing consular officers to deny certain visitor-visa applications when they have reason to believe childbirth for the purpose of obtaining U.S. citizenship is the applicant’s primary reason for travel.
The latest enforcement actions come amid a broader political and legal dispute over birthright citizenship.
Supreme Court Ruling Changed the Legal Landscape
President Donald Trump issued an executive order in January 2025 seeking to restrict birthright citizenship for certain children born in the United States. That order faced immediate legal challenges.
On June 30, 2026, the Supreme Court rejected the administration’s initial effort to implement the broader restrictions, concluding that the order could not deny citizenship to children covered by the Fourteenth Amendment.
Trump later issued a narrower executive order on Aug. 6, 2026, specifically addressing categories that included alleged “birth tourism.” That order has also been challenged in federal court.
On Sept. 2, a federal judge in Maryland issued a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of the newer order while litigation continues. The ruling cited Supreme Court precedent recognizing citizenship at birth for children within the protected class.
For now, the State Department’s visa enforcement against alleged birth tourism networks remains separate from the broader constitutional question of birthright citizenship. Officials say the department will continue targeting fraudulent visa applications and organizations that facilitate prohibited travel.
The investigations underscore the administration’s broader focus on visa integrity, while the legal battle over the scope of birthright citizenship continues in federal courts.
