WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department has identified and disrupted multiple overseas networks allegedly involved in “birth tourism,” including operations in West Africa, Europe and North Africa that officials say helped foreign nationals obtain U.S. visitor visas for the primary purpose of giving birth in the United States.
Coordinated Schemes and Visa Fraud
The findings were first reported by The Daily Wire, which said U.S. embassies uncovered coordinated schemes involving fraudulent documents, visa facilitators and companies that helped arrange travel and childbirth plans. According to the report, State Department officials worked with law-enforcement authorities to investigate the networks, revoke visas and prevent individuals involved in the alleged schemes from returning to the United States.
West Africa Network Shutdown
In West Africa, a U.S. embassy reportedly uncovered a network involving more than 100 foreign nationals who allegedly used fraudulent documents and visa “fixers” to obtain entry to the United States. The State Department said the network was shut down and the visas connected to the operation were revoked. Officials also said they were working with local authorities to identify similar operations.
European Investigation and Enforcement
A separate investigation in Europe uncovered more than 400 suspected birth-tourism cases dating to 2024, according to The Daily Wire. Investigators reportedly traced the cases to at least six companies accused of coaching visa applicants on how to respond during consular interviews, arranging accommodations in the United States and coordinating childbirth plans. The report said visas associated with the operation were revoked and several individuals were permanently barred from traveling to the United States.
North Africa Operations
In North Africa, a U.S. embassy reportedly revoked more than 100 visas issued to individuals accused of traveling primarily to the United States to give birth so their children could obtain U.S. citizenship. The State Department said consular officers used investigative techniques, data analysis and cooperation with law enforcement to identify networks allegedly abusing the visa system.
Visitor Visa Policy and Guidelines
The State Department’s current visa guidance explicitly states that birth tourism is not a permissible purpose for a visitor visa when the primary purpose of the trip is giving birth in the United States to obtain citizenship for the child.
Domestic Litigation Cases
The issue has also appeared in domestic litigation. In April 2026, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued De’Ai Postpartum Care Center in the Houston area, alleging that the business facilitated birth-tourism arrangements for Chinese nationals. The lawsuit says the center claimed responsibility for more than 1,000 American-born babies and alleges that it coached clients on immigration procedures. Those allegations are claims made in the state’s lawsuit and remain subject to the legal process.
Birthright Citizenship and Executive Orders
The enforcement campaign also intersects with the broader national debate over birthright citizenship. President Donald Trump issued Executive Order 14160 on January 20, 2025, seeking to deny U.S. citizenship to certain children born in the country based on their parents’ immigration status.
Supreme Court Ruling on Citizenship
However, the legal situation has since changed significantly. On June 30, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Trump v. Barbara that children born in the United States to parents who are unlawfully or temporarily present are “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States and are citizens at birth under the Fourteenth Amendment’s Citizenship Clause.
The ruling does not change the State Department’s separate rule governing visitor visas: traveling to the United States primarily to give birth for the purpose of obtaining citizenship remains an impermissible basis for a visitor visa.
The latest enforcement actions therefore represent a focus on alleged visa fraud and misuse of the visitor-visa system, while the constitutional question surrounding birthright citizenship has now been addressed by the Supreme Court.
