At the Paso del Norte International bridge between El Paso and Ciudad Juarez, a mother identified only as Esperanza said a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer asked her why her son was born in the United States. She said she was taken into a room for more questions while her five-year-old son waited outside, and that officers took her fingerprints and photo and searched her. She asked not to be fully named because she fears further harassment.
The State Department said it has revoked thousands of visas, including those of border parents. It did not give an overall number or say how many were held by people on the border, or whether it has a policy of asking Mexican visitors why their children were born in the U.S.
The visa crackdown was ordered in August by the Trump administration and includes a new task force aimed at stopping foreigners from trying to gain citizenship for their U.S.-born children. El Paso immigration attorney Kathleen Walker said tourist visas do not cover travel whose primary purpose is obtaining U.S. citizenship for a child born in the country. Border crossing cards allow Mexican residents short-term visits to U.S. border cities, and Walker said officers also assess whether travelers are telling the truth.