Trump Administration Moves to Close China's Pacific Visa Loophole

The Trump administration has taken an important step toward protecting America’s Pacific territories. Effective October 30, the Department of Homeland Security will suspend the program allowing eligible Chinese nationals to visit the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) without a standard U.S. visa. President Trump and his administration deserve credit for taking continued action to prevent America’s foremost foreign adversary from exploiting our freedoms to undermine our security.

The Biden administration formalized visa-free access first granted under Obama, despite documented abuses involving birth tourism and illegal travel to nearby Guam, a critical hub for the U.S. military, as well as concerns about potential espionage. America is now confronting that vulnerability. Chinese visitors will no longer be able to visit the islands without a Visa and the US scrutiny that comes with it,  providing an additional opportunity to assess Chinese nationals intention in the territory before arrival.

This is welcome progress to protecting America’s Pacific territories. To build upon it, Congress should move to prevent a future administration from restoring this visa-free access without a change in law. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, Ranking Member Dick Durbin, and committee members Ted Cruz, Marsha Blackburn, Eric Schmitt, and Ashley Moody should advance the One Nation, One Visa Policy Act (S. 3857) out of committee for a vote in the full Senate. President Trump has taken action to protect America’s Pacific territories; senators should now put these protections into law to ensure the loophole stays closed.