Thirty‑four U.S.House Republicans are urging the secretaries of Homeland Security, State and the Interior to end federal entry programs that allow Chinese nationals to visit the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands without visas, arguing the policies have fueled large‑scale birth tourism and created national security risks.
In their March 9 letter, the lawmakers say federal parole and visa‑waiver programs allowing Chinese nationals short‑term entry to the CNMI have created vulnerabilities in the U.S. immigration system. They cite reports estimating that between 750,000 and 1.5 million Chinese nationals hold U.S. citizenship through birthright policies, including children born in Saipan under CNMI‑specific entry rules.
Reps. Tom Tiffany, Chip Roy, Elise Stefanik, Andy Biggs, Byron Donalds, Ralph Norman, Paul Gosar, Harriet Hageman and others point to a sharp rise in births to visiting Chinese mothers after a 2009 Obama‑era parole program allowed Chinese nationals to enter the CNMI without first obtaining a tourist visa. Births to foreign visitors increased from fewer than 10 in 2009 to nearly 600 in 2018, with more than 3,300 babies reportedly born in Saipan to Chinese mothers since 2009.
Lawmakers say many of these U.S.-born children were raised in China and will soon reach voting age, warning that “hundreds of thousands of individuals from a hostile nation voting in American elections” could undermine U.S. sovereignty and national security.
They also criticize the Biden administration’s 2024 rule creating the CNMI Economic Vitality & Security Travel Authorization Program, which allows Chinese nationals to enter the CNMI for up to 14 days without a visa. The lawmakers argue the program “increases the likelihood for birth tourism to occur” and could enable chain migration once U.S.-born children turn 21.
The program is separate from the U.S. mainland Visa Waiver Program and applies only to Guam and CNMI.
The group is seeking detailed data from federal agencies on births to Chinese nationals in the CNMI and the mainland U.S., how many of those children returned to China, how many have reached voting age, and how many have “ties to the CCP.” They also want clarity on the status of parole and visa‑waiver programs and the number of Chinese nationals who have entered the CNMI through each one.
In response, CNMI Del. Kimberlyn King‑Hinds, also a Republican, said the lawmakers’ portrayal of the CNMI’s immigration environment does not reflect realities on the ground and shows how easily the territory can be misunderstood in Washington.
King‑Hinds said the CNMI is a “proud American community on the front lines of the Indo‑Pacific,” where the islands’ tourism‑driven economy depends on responsible access to international visitors. She said programs like EVS‑TAP are essential to keeping the CNMI economically viable while maintaining security safeguards.
She added that her first year in Congress has shown how often the CNMI’s circumstances are misunderstood, but that many lawmakers who learn the islands’ realities recognize the importance of maintaining access to diverse tourism markets.
“For the CNMI, access to diverse tourism markets is essential for our very survival,” she said, emphasizing that the territory needs every available tool to rebuild its economy. If federal policies limit those options, she said, the federal government must be prepared to provide the resources needed to sustain the community — an outcome she hopes to avoid. She said she will continue working with federal partners to ensure policies reflect the CNMI’s realities and support both the islands’ economic vitality and America’s long‑term presence in the Indo‑Pacific.
