The Trump administration is reportedly pulling the plug on a Biden-era program that let Chinese nationals travel to a U.S. island territory without a visa, following warnings from Republican lawmakers that the arrangement could open the door to birth tourism and threaten national security.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin is suspending the program, which allowed prescreened Chinese nationals to visit the Northern Mariana Islands for up to 14 days without obtaining a visa.
In a notice announcing the move, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) pointed to concerns that the program could facilitate birth tourism, espionage and illegal onward travel to nearby Guam, a key hub for the U.S. military.
The decision follows pressure from Senate Republicans. In April, Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, Rick Scott, R-Fla., John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Bill Cassidy, R-La., urged Mullin to end the program, warning that it encouraged birth tourism and posed national security risks.
Lee cheered the administration’s action in a post on X.
“America is not a nursery for the CCP to steal citizenship,” Lee wrote, referring to the Chinese Communist Party. “Thank you, President Trump!”
House Republicans also applauded the move. Rep. Chip Roy’s press office noted that the Texas Republican and Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., had raised concerns about the program back in March.
“Rep. Roy is pleased to hear the Trump Admin closed this dangerous loophole,” his office wrote on X.
Birth tourism refers to the practice of traveling to the United States primarily to give birth so that the child can become an American citizen. Some travelers have concealed the true purpose of their trip when applying for a visa.
The program in question was created in 2024 under the Biden administration and took effect the following year. According to DHS, more than 3,000 Chinese nationals used it to enter the Northern Mariana Islands in fiscal year 2025.
The department said those travelers were screened by Customs and Border Protection but were not required to obtain a visa through a U.S. consulate.
The suspension is scheduled to take effect at 2 p.m. EDT on Oct. 30. It will apply not only to new applicants but also to travelers who have already been approved under the program.
Chinese nationals currently in the territory under the program will be allowed to complete their authorized stays. However, they will need a visa for any future visits unless another lawful exception applies.
DHS said the suspension will stay in place while the department reviews the program alongside the secretaries of state and the interior.
In its notice, the department specifically warned that the program could make it easier for Chinese nationals to travel to the territory for the purpose of giving birth.
The move marks the latest step by the Trump administration to roll back a Biden-era policy that Republican lawmakers in both chambers of Congress had flagged as a potential vulnerability. With Guam’s strategic importance to the U.S. military, critics of the program had argued that the risks posed by the visa-free arrangement were simply too great to ignore.
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