The United States has announced fresh visa restrictions targeting foreign nationals involved in birth tourism, as well as individuals and businesses accused of helping people travel to the country specifically to give birth.

BBC News Pidgin reported that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the measure on Wednesday, saying it would be implemented under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows visa restrictions in certain circumstances deemed contrary to U.S. interests.

The new policy extends beyond prospective birth tourists to people accused of facilitating the practice. The State Department said those who could face restrictions include owners, operators and managers of commercial birth-tourism businesses, visa intermediaries who coach applicants to commit fraud, foreign medical providers who knowingly facilitate such travel, and others who support or enable the schemes.

The move comes as the Trump administration steps up efforts to tackle what it describes as abuse of the U.S. immigration system. The State Department has established a Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force to review visa-holder activities, identify suspected cases, revoke visas where appropriate and target networks that profit from the practice.

The department has also previously reported uncovering birth-tourism operations involving alleged document fraud and visa intermediaries. One investigation in West Africa, according to U.S. authorities, uncovered a network involving more than 100 foreign nationals who allegedly used fraudulent documents and visa fixers in attempts to secure U.S. visas for birth tourism.

Under existing U.S. visa guidance, foreign nationals are not permitted to obtain visitor visas for the primary purpose of giving birth in the United States so that their child can obtain U.S. citizenship.