x

2 women who visit the Valley often lose tourist visas amid birth tourism crackdown

2 women who visit the Valley often lose tourist visas amid birth tourism crackdown
1 hour 16 minutes 45 seconds ago Wednesday, July 22 2026 Jul 22, 2026 July 22, 2026 2:36 PM July 22, 2026 in News - Local
Source: KRGV

The Trump Administration is cracking down on birth tourism.

That's when a foreigner has a baby in the United States with the sole purpose of giving them U.S. citizenship.

Two women who travel to the Rio Grande Valley often are in the middle of the U.S. crackdown they say doesn't involve them.

Both say their tourist visas were taken away because of birth tourism. Channel 5 News isn't identifying either woman.

One woman, who will be identified as Sarah, was coming to Weslaco to have dinner last week.

Sarah says the Customs and Border Protection officer at the Progreso port of entry said they've been ordered to revoke tourist visas of people suspected of giving birth to their children in the U.S. for the sole purpose of giving them U.S. citizenship.

Sarah lives in Nuevo Progreso and is a mother of two children. Both her children are U.S. citizens who go to school in Mexico.

Sarah said she told the officer she paid for the birth of her two children. She shared the document the CBP officer showing her visa was cancelled because of birth tourism.

Channel 5 News learned she is not the only one. A second woman is going through the same thing. She will be referred to as Alicia.

RELATED COVERAGE: Abbott signs executive order targeting birth tourism schemes following investigation at Valley hospitals

Alicia, who lives in Rio Bravo, said she crossed the Donna port of entry on Thursday when a CBP officer revoked her tourist visa. She was crossing with her U.S. citizen children to see family.

One of Alicia's children is enrolled at IDEA Public Schools in Weslaco. Without a way to cross into the U.S., Alicia worries how she's going to bring her children to school.

She said she hopes IDEA will be able to pick up her child near the Progreso International Bridge.

IDEA released the following statement in reference to Alicia's situation:

"IDEA Public Schools is committed to helping students access a high-quality education and offers free transportation services to eligible students who register for transportation. Bus routes and community stop locations are established based on students' registered residential addresses, safety considerations, and operational guidelines. IDEA only operates bus routes within an eight-mile radius of each campus, with a few exceptions for specific campuses, and students who live outside that area may be assigned to the nearest designated community stop. IDEA does not provide custom transportation services or pickup locations outside of its established transportation network. Families with questions about transportation options are encouraged to contact their campus transportation team for assistance."

In a statement, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson did not directly answer questions about whether CBP officers are revoking tourist visas of people who gave birth to U.S. citizens in the United States.

The spokesperson referred Channel 5 News to an interview DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin gave earlier this month on Fox and Friends.

The secretary said the Supreme Court was dead wrong about upholding birthright citizenship in a recent decision at the end of June.

Mullin called birthright citizenship a 'national security risk,' mentioning he had a long conversation with President Trump and top White House officials to look for a way to protect America.

"CBP officers have a lot of discretion," immigration attorney Carlos Garcia said.

Garcia does not represent the women Channel 5 News spoke with, but he was made aware of their concerns.

"Well, it's not a violation of the visa to have a child in the United States. The officer is going to ask the reasons for why the child was born in the United States," Garcia said.

Garcia says if the customs officers feel a tourist used their visa for something besides tourism, the officer may use their discretion to take the visa away.

"While you can apply for a new one, it's going to be very difficult to get a new one," Garcia said.

Garcia says it could be difficult for a consular official to know exactly why a mother decided to give birth in the U.S. In the end, the decision falls on the CBP officer to cancel the visa.

Alicia says she and other mothers she spoke with that are dealing with the same issue are going to wait before applying for a new Visa.

Sarah says she'll wait until there's a different president in the White House.

Watch the video above for the full story.

More News

Radar
7 Days