The Trump administration has announced new visa restrictions meant to prevent pregnant women from travelling to the US to give birth on American soil.
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The White House said the practice of giving birth in the US in order to have American citizenship conferred upon the child - known as birth tourism - is a "glaring immigration loophole".
"The birth tourism industry threatens to overburden valuable hospital resources and is rife with criminal activity, as reflected in Federal prosecutions," the White House said in a statement on Thursday. "The integrity of American citizenship must be protected."
The move by the Trump administration is the latest attempt to restrict the US immigration system. Anti-immigration advocates have long railed against birth tourism.
The US constitution grants citizenship to any person born on US soil. Trump has called the right "frankly ridiculous".
The new visa rules, which go into effect on Friday, apply to non-immigrant visas granted for business or tourism.
A US consular official is to deny the visa if he or she believes the applicant's "primary purpose" is to give birth in US.
It is unclear how the new rules are to be enforced, as non-immigrant visas can be granted for a period of up to 10 years.
Australian Associated Press
