The Trump administration is ramping up enforcement against individuals who take part in “birth tourism,” which involves traveling to the United States for the sole purpose of having a baby on U.S. soil and automatically receiving U.S. citizenship for the child.The crackdown follows a ruling in the Supreme Court earlier this summer that barred the Trump administration from limiting birthright citizenship via executive order. That loss sent federal agencies into action.
A day after the ruling, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told Fox News that he had a “long conversation” with White House border czar Tom Homan and White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller about other ways to address foreigners who purposely travel to the U.S., enter legally or illegally, with the intent of having their baby here.Two senior administration officials told the Washington Examiner on Monday that ICE, including its Homeland Security Investigations arm, would be focusing on the matter to a greater extent after being directed to do so by the White House.Separately, the Department of Justice and FBI have been called in to focus on investigating and prosecuting cases, according to the same two officials.CBP, the agency tasked with inspecting all people who seek to enter the U.S. at airports, seaports, and land ports, vowed in a statement to the Washington Examiner to use “every available enforcement authority” to maintain the integrity of the immigration system and hold accountable those who abuse the laws.“CBP is also targeting the criminal networks and facilitators that profit from exploiting U.S. immigration laws, including those spreading misinformation through foreign billboard advertisements designed to encourage immigration fraud,” CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott said in a statement Tuesday.“U.S. Customs and Border Protection is identifying and pursuing anyone who seeks to circumvent U.S. law or exploit our immigration system for personal gain,” Scott said. “Individuals who misrepresent the purpose of their travel to the United States may be denied boarding before departure or refused admission upon arrival.”Former Texas Republican Rep. Mayra Flores posted a picture in April that showed a billboard in the Mexican city of Reynosa, in which a Texas hospital advertised to international patients about traveling to the U.S. to have a baby at significantly lower cost than the cost for Americans with health insurance.Americans are getting blatantly ripped off, and it’s happening right in front of our faces.In the United States, the average cost to give birth is over $20,000. Even if you have insurance, you’re still slammed with thousands in bills. Families are going into debt just to bring… pic.twitter.com/kSRWgF3erR— Mayra Flores (@MayraFlores4TX) April 18, 2026
