Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered an investigation into Mission Regional Medical Center after the hospital advertised Spanish-language "Birth Packages in South Texas" on billboards in Mexico. The advertisements promoted childbirth services to pregnant foreign nationals near the U.S.-Mexico border.
Mission Regional Medical Center confirmed it was responsible for the advertising campaign, which offered deliveries starting at $3,950 for a natural birth and $5,525 for a C-section. The billboards directed viewers to a website, havemybabyinTEXAS.com, which has since been taken offline. The phone number displayed on the billboards included the U.S. country code.
A spokesperson for the hospital stated that the marketing materials were no longer in use due to any unintended misunderstanding, and that the hospital does not support or facilitate unlawful activity and complies with all applicable laws and regulations. The campaign reportedly began in 2021, with the billboards located approximately five miles from the hospital near a U.S.-Mexico border crossing. Both the billboards and the website were removed Monday after images circulated on social media.
Abbott directed the Texas Health and Human Services Commission Executive Commissioner Stephanie Muth to investigate the hospital for potential violations of state law and contractual obligations. In a letter obtained by Fox News, Abbott called 'birth tourism' an illegal practice that exploits U.S. hospitality and stated that thousands of foreign travelers come to the U.S. under false pretenses to give birth and secure citizenship for their children. He declared, 'American citizenship is not for sale and Texas will not permit our healthcare system to be used as a magnet for birth tourism.'
Abbott also indicated plans to work with the Texas Legislature to strengthen state law and eliminate birth tourism in Texas. The governor requested that any violations found during the investigation be referred to the Texas Attorney General for civil enforcement and to the appropriate district or county attorney for potential criminal prosecution.
Kyle Brosnan, General Counsel of the Oversight Project, commented that birth tourism operations are not new and that the Supreme Court's decision in a birthright citizenship case could lead to an increase in such practices. He advocated for criminal investigations and mass deportations of undocumented immigrants.
Mission Regional Medical Center stated its intention to cooperate with state officials, emphasizing its focus on delivering safe, high-quality care to all patients. The investigation comes amid ongoing legal challenges to a former executive order seeking to limit automatic birthright citizenship for some children born in the United States.