Federal prosecutors on June 30 were directed to prioritize investigations into “birth tourism” schemes after the Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship for children born to illegal immigrants.
Colin McDonald, the Justice Department’s assistant attorney general for fraud, said in a memo to department employees that the U.S. immigration system is being exploited by foreign nationals who travel to the country “under false pretenses” to give birth and secure U.S. citizenship for their children.
He instructed all U.S. attorneys and the Criminal Division to work with the Department of Homeland Security to investigate and prosecute those involved in such schemes. …