The Trump administration is coming out with new visa restrictions aimed at restricting a practice known as “birth tourism." That refers to cases when women travel to the United States to give birth so their children can have U.S. citizenship.
Visa applicants deemed by consular officers to be coming to the U.S. primarily to give birth will now be treated like other foreigners coming to the U.S. for medical treatment. According to The Associated Press, applicants will have to prove they are coming for medical treatment and have money to pay for the treatment.
That's according to State Department guidance sent Wednesday and viewed by The Associated Press.
It is legal for women to travel to the U.S. with the purpose of giving birth. However, those who run birth tourism agencies have been arrested in the past for via issues or tax evasion.
The Associated Press reports that consular officers aren't legally able to ask if a woman is pregnant. However, they would have the right to decline a visa if they determine a woman is pregnant.
President Donald Trump has fought to decrease immigration — both legal and illegal — since taking office in 2017. Trump has also expressed an interest in ending birthright citizenship, though the law is enshrined in the Constitution.
The regulations will go into effect Friday.
