US Government Intensifies Efforts Against Birth Tourism

The US Department of Justice has announced a renewed crackdown on birth tourism, targeting foreign nationals who travel to the US to give birth for citizenship benefits. This initiative follows a Supreme Court ruling that upheld birthright citizenship. The DOJ aims to prosecute those who exploit the immigration system through fraudulent means. Several past cases highlight the issue, including significant prison sentences for individuals involved in such schemes. The government estimates thousands of births occur annually due to this practice, prompting officials to emphasize the need for stricter enforcement of immigration laws. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has labeled birth tourism a growing industry and reaffirmed the commitment to stopping it.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jul 2, 2026, 07:36 IST

Crackdown on Birth Tourism Initiated by DOJ

On Wednesday, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) declared a renewed initiative to combat "birth tourism," urging federal prosecutors to take action against foreign nationals who allegedly travel to the US to give birth, thereby securing citizenship for their offspring. This announcement follows the US Supreme Court's decision to invalidate former President Donald Trump's executive order aimed at terminating birthright citizenship for children born to undocumented immigrants and certain temporary visitors.

In a memo directed to federal prosecutors, Colin McDonald, the Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division, emphasized the department's commitment to "vigorously uphold the integrity of US citizenship" by investigating and prosecuting individuals who exploit the immigration system under "false pretenses" for childbirth. McDonald noted that existing criminal laws already address many activities associated with these so-called 'birth tourism' schemes, which often begin with fraudulent visa applications that misrepresent the traveler's intentions or duration of stay in the US.

He referenced several past prosecutions related to birth tourism, including the 2024 convictions of Michael Wei Yueh Liu and Jing Dong, a couple who ran a business named "USA Happy Baby" catering to Chinese clients. According to the DOJ, this company charged clients exorbitant fees while assisting them in fraudulently obtaining US visas, leading to each being sentenced to 41 months in prison.

McDonald also mentioned the 2022 case of Ibrahim Aksakal, who received a 27-month prison sentence after being found guilty of conspiracy to commit healthcare and wire fraud. Aksakal had promoted birth tourism services on Turkish-language social media and advised pregnant women on how to hide their pregnancies.

Another case highlighted was that of Chao "Edwin" Chen, who managed the "You Win USA" business. The DOJ reported that Chen's company, which employed around 100 people in both the US and China, assisted over 500 clients in traveling to the US for childbirth, charging up to $80,000 per customer. Chen was sentenced to 37 months in prison in 2020.

While the US government does not release official statistics on births associated with birth tourism, the Migration Policy Institute estimates that approximately 26,000 babies are born annually in the US to women who travel for this purpose. The Center for Immigration Studies suggests that the number could be around 33,000 births each year to women on tourist visas, in addition to hundreds of thousands of children born to undocumented mothers or those on temporary visas.

During a press conference on Wednesday, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche described birth tourism as a "growing industry." He stated, "It should be universally acknowledged that if your intention in coming here is to give birth to a child who will be a US citizen, it constitutes a violation of our laws. We are committed to halting this practice, and that is our focus moving forward."