An estimated 20,000 to 26,000 babies are born through birth tourism per year, according to the Center for Immigration Studies.
The China Mifubaby Group website translation excitedly shared the news: “US Supreme Court decision finalized: Birth tourism babies still become citizens!”
On its website, the group, also known as Meifu Jia’er, displayed photos of tastefully decorated bedrooms in pastel blue, pink, and green under the heading “American Postnatal Care Center” in Irvine, California. Prices ranged from $43,800 for a 2-bedroom, 1-bath villa to $33,800 for a mid-range suite.
“With the increasing demand for childbirth in the United States, more and more expectant mothers in China are planning to give birth there,” the Mifubaby Group website claimed.
Another Chinese birth tourism company, Kangbixing, displays a large image of a pregnant Chinese woman with an American flag in the background on its site, where it advertises packages for “overseas medical treatment for childbirth in the U.S,” listing partner hospitals in the United States and recommended obstetricians.
These are just two examples of companies seeking to capitalize on the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 30 landmark decision in Trump v. Barbara, which held that children born in the United States to parents unlawfully or temporarily present are citizens at birth under the citizenship clause of the 14th Amendment.
Trump’s Executive Order 14160 attempted to end automatic birthright citizenship for American-born children of illegal immigrants and temporary visa holders. The order was ultimately struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court as unconstitutional.
Chinese aren’t the only foreign nationals advertising birth tourism, though they have received the lion’s share of publicity. Women from Mexico, Turkey, Russia, and Nigeria are listed as countries of origin by groups tracking the trend.
For example, a Texas hospital recently advertised “childbirth packages in South Texas” on a Spanish-language billboard in Mexico along the U.S. Southern border. Prices ranged from $3,950 for a natural birth to $5,525 for a cesarean section birth, directing people to havemybabyinTEXAS.com, which is no longer operational.
The incident prompted Gov. Greg Abbott to accuse the hospital of engaging in birth tourism and call for an investigation this month. It also drew a response from President Donald Trump.
“Billions of dollars will be illegally made by this SCAM, with Citizenship going to anyone willing to pay. It will be, by far, the number one way of becoming a citizen, and then the entire family will be allowed to follow. Not sustainable. NOBODY SAW THIS COMING!!! AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP IS NOT FOR SALE!” Trump said in a July 8 post on Truth Social.
