Texas Governor Greg Abbott has signed an executive order aimed at curbing the birth tourism industry within the state. The order empowers state agencies to investigate schemes that facilitate pregnant women traveling to the United States with the intention of giving birth to secure automatic U.S. citizenship for their children.
Abbott stated that "Texas will not tolerate the exploitation of our immigration laws by individuals traveling to the U.S. illegally or under false pretenses to give birth and secure citizenship for their child." He added, "U.S. citizenship is not for sale, and Texas will put a stop to individuals seeking to profit from birth tourism."
The executive order directs state agencies to take enforcement action against any licensed or regulated individual or entity found to be advertising, soliciting, assisting, or providing unlawful birth tourism schemes. Enforcement actions can include the revocation or suspension of licenses, prohibiting participation in state contracts, denying state benefits, or pursuing other legal measures.
This directive builds upon a previous order from Abbott tasking the state Health and Human Services Commission to investigate Texas hospitals accused of advertising birth tourism packages. One such hospital, Mission Regional Medical Center, had advertised Spanish-language "Birth Packages in South Texas" on billboards in Mexico. These advertisements promoted childbirth services to foreign nationals near the U.S.-Mexico border, with prices starting at $3,950 for a natural birth and $5,525 for a Cesarean section.
A spokesperson for Mission Regional Medical Center stated that the marketing materials were "no longer in use due to any unintended misunderstanding" and that the hospital "does not support or facilitate any unlawful activity and work[s] to comply with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations."
State Representative Brian Harrison has called for an immediate special session of the Texas Legislature to make birth tourism a state-level felony and urged Governor Abbott to direct state agencies to stop issuing birth certificates to non-citizens. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is also reportedly cracking down on companies involved in these activities.
The issue of birth tourism has been a point of contention, with opponents viewing it as a loophole in immigration laws. The U.S. State Department has also implemented measures to combat the practice, including amended visa visitor rules and empowering consular officers to deny visa applications if the primary purpose appears to be giving birth in the U.S. Former President Donald Trump has also described birth tourism as a significant abuse of the immigration system.