Push to force Australian women to take a pregnancy test to enter US
Trump administration officials are proposing changes that would prevent pregnant Australian women entering the US.
Some conservative commentators in America are even proposing pregnancy tests for women looking to enter the country, even for a holiday.
Australian women could be required to take a pregnancy test to enter the US. Getty Images/iStockphoto
The push to block pregnant foreigners entering the US stems from concern over what they call “birth tourism”.
Republican congresswoman Lauren Boebert said pregnant women should not be allowed into the US.
“The State Department should immediately cease to give out visas to pregnant applicants,” she said.
“Sorry, birth tourism cannot continue.”
Popular conservative commentator Megyn Kelly asked about pregnancy tests.
“Would there be the possibility of cracking down on pregnant aliens who are coming over here? Revoking visas? Pregnancy tests, even?” Kelly said.
“I mean, how far could we go with that?”
A million Australians visit the USA every year. iStock
America is one of dozens of countries which have birthright citizenship, meaning anybody born on US soil is automatically a citizen.
But Republicans have been seeking to change that constitutional amendment passed in 1866.
“A foreign national can board a plane, enter on a tourist visa, give birth, and the child is automatically recognized as a US citizen,” Congresswoman Kat Cammack said.
“No one who voted for the 14th Amendment in 1866 could have envisioned the ‘birth tourism’ industry or the incentives it would create.”
The White House has been focused on overturning birthright citizenship, though their attempts to do so were struck down by the Supreme Court last week.
“People come here just to have babies on American soil, and that baby gets to be a citizen for life,” top White House staffer Stephen Miller said.
“So, you have mothers that come in fully pregnant, have a baby, go home, and again, that baby gets Medicaid, and that baby gets welfare, and that baby gets cash assistance, and can send you to leave the baby with, you know, a cousin, a relative, whatever.
“And then to send welfare checks back home, you can support a whole family in the third world.”
Prominent conservatives want to ban pregnant women from visiting the US. nna\yashee.sharma
Sean Davis, the chief executive of conservative website The Federalist, went even further.
Davis suggested denying entry to all pregnant foreigners, denying entry to all female foreigners or requiring sterilisation of all foreign visitors.
But the Trump administration would not need to change the laws to stop any Australian woman entering the country.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers can allow or deny admission to the US at their own discretion.
“When determining if you will be allowed to enter the United States, the CBP officer will take into consideration the date your child is due for delivery and the length of time you intend to stay in the United States,” a statement from the CBP read.
“In addition, they want evidence that you have sufficient medical insurance to cover any medical necessities while you are in the United States and that you intend to return home.”
Under changes introduced in 2020, US consular officials will deny visa applications to anyone believed to be travelling to America with the primary purpose of giving birth.
While Australia has not been specifically mentioned, a crackdown on pregnant visitors would likely affect Australians.
About a million Australians visit the US each year.
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