Sen. Marsha Blackburn is leading a new legislative charge to dismantle the multi-million dollar birth tourism industry—one of the most glaring loopholes in America’s immigration system. Backed by President Trump’s broader immigration agenda, Blackburn introduced the Ban Birth Tourism Act on Tuesday, targeting foreign nationals who enter the U.S. with the intent to give birth and secure citizenship for their children.

“For too long, foreign nationals have been exploiting our nation’s immigration laws,” Blackburn said in a press release. “This bill puts an end to the practice of buying American citizenship for their children.”

The proposed legislation would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act, explicitly declaring any foreign national seeking a tourist visa for the primary purpose of giving birth inadmissible. It would also include protections for those legitimately entering the U.S. for medical care unrelated to citizenship acquisition.

The practice of birth tourism has been under fire for years, particularly during Trump’s first term. In 2020, his administration took action through the State Department to begin denying visas to suspected birth tourists—an effort hailed by immigration hawks.

Now, with Trump back in office and renewed efforts to close immigration loopholes underway, Blackburn’s bill looks to codify and expand that crackdown into law. The legislation arrives as part of a coordinated push by Senate Republicans to end birthright citizenship as it is currently applied.

The numbers behind birth tourism are staggering. According to policy experts, at least 33,000 children are born in the U.S. annually to women on temporary visas—many of whom arrived for the express purpose of giving birth. Once these children turn 21, they can sponsor their parents for green cards, opening the door for chain migration and long-term residency for entire families who initially entered on tourist visas.

A 2015 report from the Center for Immigration Studies exposed the extent of the industry, with companies—particularly in China and Russia—charging tens of thousands of dollars to facilitate the process. These businesses offer everything from luxury accommodations to hospital arrangements and legal coaching on how to evade detection by immigration authorities.

One of the largest crackdowns occurred in 2019, when nearly 20 people were indicted in California for operating complex birth tourism schemes that targeted Chinese nationals. Federal prosecutors revealed that these organizations had been instructing clients to lie on visa applications and during border interviews.

Under Blackburn’s bill, such operations would be explicitly outlawed, and the legal loophole they exploit would be shut for good.

“As President Trump works to end birthright citizenship, we need to get this bill to his desk,” Blackburn said.

The legislation would also align with Trump’s executive push to end automatic citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants and short-term visitors—an issue he has described as “the biggest magnet” drawing illegal immigration and visa fraud.

Supporters argue that the move is long overdue. Birthright citizenship, as interpreted by liberal judges and bureaucrats, has created an incentive structure that invites abuse. A child born in the U.S. under this system receives all the rights of citizenship, even if the mother entered the country for no other reason than to secure that status.

With Trump’s second-term immigration agenda now moving swiftly—focused on restoring borders, cracking down on asylum abuse, and ending anchor baby policies—Blackburn’s bill is likely to gain momentum among conservatives eager to finish the work Trump started.

The fight to restore integrity to America’s immigration system is far from over. But with efforts like this, Republicans are signaling they’re ready to seal off every avenue of exploitation—and protect the meaning of American citizenship once and for all.