A United States (US) embassy in North Africa has revoked more than 100 visas tied to ‘birth tourism’ operations, targeting parents accused of traveling to the US primarily to secure citizenship for their children.
As noted by the Department of State in a post on X the embassy in the North African country not mentioned, revoked these number of visas enforcement.
Federal officials confirmed on Monday that the administration has revoked more than 175,000 visas in 2026. That pace represents over 10,000 cancellations per month this year, a sharp acceleration from 2025, when total revocations numbered slightly over 100,000.
The indicates a dramatic escalation in US State Department continuous vetting operations.
The enforcement action forms part of a massive, ongoing campaign by the Trump administration to cancel travel privileges for foreign nationals suspected of policy violations, financial fraud, or criminal activity.
Under the direction of President Donald Trump and Marco Rubio, secretary of State federal authorities are framing the widespread cancellations as a necessary safety measure to ensure foreign visitors abide by US law.
State Department officials stated that the vast majority of cancellations stemmed from routine law enforcement encounters involving offenses ranging from assault, driving under the influence, theft, and drug charges to financial crimes such as fraud and embezzlement.
This policy shift impacts Nigerians in four key ways:
Active visa revocations
The US is continuously tracking active visa holders. Multi-year visas can be cancelled remotely at any time if past travel or records show policy violations.
Crackdown on birth tourism
Traveling on a tourist visa primarily to give birth is a violation. Unapproved birth travel, unpaid US medical bills, or concealing pregnancy intent can lead to immediate visa cancellation and permanent travel bans.
Intense border and interview scrutiny
Pregnant travelers face strict questioning about financial self-sufficiency and travel motives. Misrepresenting intentions on visa forms guarantees a fraud charge and entry refusal.
Low tolerance for infractions
The threshold for cancellation is lower as minor legal issues, unresolved financial disputes, or application discrepancies now trigger swift visa revocations.
Department officials countered that foreign national privileges remain conditional, citing foreign policy grounds and public safety mandates for their actions.
US federal authorities have increasingly cited foreign policy and national security considerations to justify deportations and visa cancellations.
They also maintain that continuous vetting will remain a permanent mechanism for foreign oversight, signaling that they will continue using local investigations such as birth tourism probe to identify and invalidate visas before policy abuses occur.