Three Republican senators have fired off a stern letter to top Trump administration officials, urging an immediate crackdown on visa programs exploited by Chinese nationals for birth tourism and surrogacy schemes. Senators Rick Scott, Jim Banks, and Markwayne Mullin argue these policies pose a direct threat to national security, allowing Communist China to fast-track citizenship through American-born children.
In their correspondence to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, the senators spotlight the visa waiver program between Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. This arrangement lets Chinese visitors enter without visas, fueling a surge in births in Saipan. Data reveals a dramatic rise: from fewer than 10 Chinese births annually in 2009 to nearly 600 by 2018, totaling over 3,300 such children to date.
Under U.S. law, these children gain automatic citizenship and can sponsor their parents for green cards at age 21, potentially triggering chain migration. The senators warn this could extend citizenship to grandchildren regardless of birthplace, straining resources and bypassing standard immigration vetting.
Local impacts are severe. Saipan’s sole public hospital buckles under the weight of these births, compromising healthcare for residents. The letter cites a Wall Street Journal investigation highlighting Chinese use of U.S. surrogacy to secure citizenship for offspring, often evading rigorous checks.
The senators blast policies from Obama and Biden eras as security risks, both short- and long-term. They demand scrapping Biden-era travel programs, mandating tourist visas for Chinese nationals, and excluding Hong Kong from waivers. ‘We write to commend your commitment to protecting our homeland from foreign threats,’ they stated, calling for swift action to seal these loopholes.