Congress investigates ‘birth tourism’ industry marketing US citizenship
WASHINGTON (TNND) — House lawmakers are investigating companies accused of turning “birth tourism” into a lucrative business by helping foreign women travel to the United States to give birth, allowing their children to obtain U.S. citizenship.
Birth tourism generally involves pregnant foreign nationals traveling to the United States to give birth. (TNND)
The House Oversight Committee examined the practice Tuesday, with Republican lawmakers raising concerns about potential immigration fraud and national security risks tied to companies that market maternity services to foreign clients.
Birth tourism generally involves pregnant foreign nationals traveling to the United States to give birth. Under the longstanding interpretation of the 14th Amendment, most children born on U.S. soil receive American citizenship regardless of their parents’ nationality or immigration status.
Steven Camarota of the Center for Immigration Studies told lawmakers he estimates between 200,000 and 300,000 children were born through birth tourism over the past decade, arguing the practice allows people to “game the system” to obtain citizenship for their children.
Republicans focused particular attention on “Have My Baby in Miami,” a company founded by Dr. Wladimir Lorentz that markets maternity services to international clients.
Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, highlighted language from the company’s website promoting the prospect of having a child in the United States before questioning Lorentz about whether his business had helped children of Chinese Communist Party members obtain American citizenship.
Lorentz declined to answer, invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. After he indicated he would invoke the Fifth in response to lawmakers’ questions, the committee dismissed him.
Republicans also raised broader national security concerns, pointing to reports of Chinese and Russian nationals paying tens of thousands of dollars to companies facilitating births in the United States.
Traveling to the United States while pregnant is not itself illegal. However, State Department rules allow consular officers to deny certain temporary visas when they believe the primary purpose of the trip is to give birth in the U.S. to obtain citizenship for the child. Misrepresenting a trip’s purpose can also carry immigration consequences.
Democrats pushed back on Republicans’ framing of the issue, arguing the hearing was part of a broader effort to restrict immigration and birthright citizenship.
“President Trump and his ever-loyal followers don’t like that part of the Constitution,” Rep. James Walkinshaw, D-Va., said, accusing Republicans of seeking to weaken constitutional protections for immigrants.
The hearing comes amid a separate legal battle over birthright citizenship. President Trump has sought to restrict automatic citizenship for some children born in the United States to noncitizen parents through executive action. After the Supreme Court struck down an earlier effort, the administration adopted a narrower approach in August that is already facing new legal challenges.