Go to Content Go to Navigation Go to Navigation Go to Site Search Homepage

WASHINGTON — The Trump-Pence administration will allow the State Department to deny temporary visas to pregnant women. The new rule is expected to take effect today and will give discretion to consular officers to reject women they believe are traveling to the United States and its territories to give birth, making their children U.S. citizens. This policy will include visas issued for pleasure, medical treatment, or to see friends and family. The rule will primarily affect travelers from Africa, Asia, and Latin America, because it will not apply to countries in the Visa Waiver Program. Thirty one of the 39 countries in this protected program are from Europe. 

This rule is part of a long line of attacks on immigrants by the administration, including ending temporary protected status for several countries; the physical separation of children from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border; the rollback of parental rights as part of  immigration proceedings; and increased enforcement of detention and deportation.

Statement from Monica Kerrigan, Executive Director, Planned Parenthood Global: 

The Trump-Pence administration’s travel ban on pregnant women is yet again an extreme case of gender and racial discrimination. Once again, the administration demonstrates a willingness to target people of color who try to enter the U.S. and trample on the rights of women and all people who make private decisions about their own bodies and their families. This ban will take effect the day Trump becomes the first president to address the fringe, anti-abortion March for Life. The hypocrisy couldn’t be clearer: on the same day that the President addresses a march themed “pro-woman,” the President will implement a policy that will force women from Africa and Latin America to prove they aren’t pregnant to enter the U.S.

This isn’t the first time the administration has used visas as a tool for its extreme anti-immigrant ideology. Within months of taking office, Trump announced a travel ban against Muslims. The relentless attacks on immigrants by the administration have contributed to a culture of fear in immigrant communities, and often keep far too many from seeking the lifesaving care they need.

###

Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable health care for women, men, and young people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With more than 600 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood organizations serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect and without judgment. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable health information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives.

For more than 45 years, Planned Parenthood Global has supported access to sexual and reproductive health care and advocated for reproductive rights around the world. In partnership with more than 100 organizations across 9 focus countries in Africa and Latin America, we advance the health and rights of young people, women and families, with an emphasis on the most vulnerable and underserved. Last year, our partners provided over 5.6 million people with sexual and reproductive health information and services. Our unique sustainability model sets us apart, as we empower partners to stand on their own. We help grassroots organizations develop solid reproductive health programs, identify other sources of funding, build their communications and advocacy skills, and develop strategic plans. Planned Parenthood Global is the international arm of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

We and our third partners use cookies and other tools to collect, store, monitor, and analyze information about your interaction with our site to improve performance, analyze your use of our sites and assist in our marketing efforts. You may opt out of the use of these cookies and other tools at any time by visiting Cookie Settings. By clicking “Allow All Cookies” you consent to our collection and use of such data, and our Terms of Use. For more information, see our Privacy Notice.

Cookie Settings

We, and our third-party partners, use cookies, pixels, and other tracking technologies to collect, store, monitor, and process certain information about you when you access and use our services, read our emails, or otherwise engage with us. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences, or your device. We use that information to make the site work, analyze performance and traffic on our website, to provide a more personalized web experience, and assist in our marketing efforts. We also share information with our social media, advertising, and analytics partners. You can change your default settings according to your preference. You cannot opt-out of required cookies when utilizing our site; this includes necessary cookies that help our site to function (such as remembering your cookie preference settings). For more information, please see our Privacy Notice.

Marketing

On

We use online advertising to promote our mission and help constituents find our services. Marketing pixels help us measure the success of our campaigns.

User Feedback and Session Replay

On

We use qualitative data from LogRocket, UserZoom, Hotjar and AB Tasty to learn about your user experience and improve our products and services. LogRocket allows us to view session replays.