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The Trump administration is suspending a visa-free travel program for Chinese nationals visiting a U.S. island territory after Republican lawmakers warned it could facilitate birth tourism and pose national security risks.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s decision targets a Biden-era program that allowed prescreened Chinese nationals to visit the Northern Mariana Islands for up to 14 days without a visa.
In a notice announcing the decision, the Department of Homeland Security cited concerns that the program could facilitate birth tourism, espionage and illegal onward travel to nearby Guam, a key hub for the U.S. military.
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The U.S. territory of Guam is an attractive target for Chinese migrants given its proximity to the Northern Mariana Islands. (iStock)
The decision comes after senators Mike Lee, R-Utah, Rick Scott, R-Fla., John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Bill Cassidy, R-La., urged Mullin in April to end the program, warning that it encouraged birth tourism and posed national security risks.
Lee celebrated the decision in a post on X.
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“America is not a nursery for the CCP to steal citizenship,” Lee wrote, referring to the Chinese Communist Party. “Thank you, President Trump!”
Rep. Chip Roy’s press office also welcomed the move, saying the Texas Republican and Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., had raised concerns about the program in March.
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“Rep. Roy is pleased to hear the Trump Admin closed this dangerous loophole,” his office wrote on X.
Birth tourism is when someone travels to the United States primarily to give birth so their child can become an American citizen. Some travelers have hidden the purpose of their trip when applying for a visa.
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Chinese citizens wait to submit their visa applications at the US Embassy. (MARK RALSTON/AFP/GettyImages)
The program at issue was created in 2024 and took effect the following year. More than 3,000 Chinese nationals used it to enter the Northern Mariana Islands in fiscal year 2025, according to DHS.
Those travelers were screened by Customs and Border Protection, but did not have to obtain a visa through a U.S. consulate, the department said.
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The suspension is set to take effect at 2 p.m. EDT on Oct. 30 and will apply to both new applicants and travelers who have already been approved. Those already in the territory under the program may finish their authorized stays but will need a visa for future visits unless another lawful exception applies.
DHS said the suspension will remain in place while the department evaluates the program with the secretaries of state and the interior.
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The department warned that the program could make it easier for Chinese nationals to travel to the territory to give birth.
“While birth tourism has long been an issue in the CNMI, the availability of visa-exempt travel and reduced vetting under EVS-TAP may lower barriers to this practice,” the notice says.
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The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) headquarters in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, May 10, 2023 (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
DHS also said birth tourism can strain the islands’ medical system. The notice did not provide a number of births linked to travelers who entered through the program, formally known as the Economic Vitality & Security Travel Authorization Program.
The department warned that visa-free travel could be exploited for intelligence gathering near U.S. military facilities. The Northern Mariana Islands are home to Tinian Air Base, while Guam hosts several military installations.
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The U.S. territory of Guam (iStock)
Although the program did not permit visitors to travel to Guam or the U.S. mainland, DHS cited previous cases involving Chinese nationals smuggled by boat from the Northern Mariana Islands to Guam. Those cases involved earlier travel policies or other streamlined arrangements, but DHS said they showed a vulnerability that the newer program had not eliminated.
The suspension comes as the Trump administration pursues a broader crackdown on birth tourism. A State Department task force launched Aug. 12 had revoked more than 750 visas tied to suspected birth tourism activity as of late August, the department previously told Digital.
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott told Digital that officials were working with international partners and law enforcement to identify travel patterns that could point to birth tourism networks.
Pigott said some networks help visitors conceal the purpose of their trips and then coach them on how to avoid paying medical bills.
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The Northern Mariana Islands program is separate from the visitor visa process targeted by those revocations.
Digital’s Peter D’Abrosca contributed to this report.
