Federal prosecutors were directed to prioritize probes into birth tourism schemes after the Supreme Court struck down President Trump’s order on birthright citizenship.
Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald issued a memo on the matter to Department of Justice employees, writing that the American immigration system is “exploited each year by thousands of foreigners who travel to the United States under false pretenses to give birth and secure citizenship for their child.”
The memo declared that the DOJ will “investigate and hold accountable those who engage in this unlawful conduct, as well as those who solicit and sell these criminal services to others.” It noted that the Department of Homeland Security will “prioritize the investigation and prosecution of birth tourism schemes.”
McDonald added that the DOJ will “zealously protect the sanctity of United States citizenship by investigating and prosecuting those who fraudulently exploit our immigration system.” He declared that the DOJ will “bring illegal birth tourism to an end and those responsible to justice.”
In a similar statement shared on social media, the DOJ said, “Birth tourism schemes exploit our immigration laws and often violate our criminal laws. The Department of Justice will prioritize the prosecutions of birth tourism schemes across the country. Actors seeking to exploit loopholes to obtain automatic citizenship for their children pose a national security threat and will be brought to justice.”
The House Oversight Committee has also launched an investigation into birth tourism schemes. The probe centers on four companies associated with “birth tourism” in the United States. Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY) and Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX) sent letters to maternity companies in Florida, Texas, and California, requesting documents on marketing materials and the number of clients served.
