Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has initiated legal proceedings against De’ai Postpartum Care Center, a Houston-area medical facility, alleging the center has engaged in illegal practices to help Chinese nationals obtain United States citizenship for their children through what authorities describe as birth tourism.
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Fort Bend County, alleges that the center has been operating this scheme for nearly two decades, specifically since 2008. The attorney general’s office claims the facility has been running what they characterize as a full-service luxury operation from residential properties in Fort Bend County.
The center allegedly markets its services through multiple channels, including its website, social media platforms, the private messaging application WeChat, and online forums dedicated to birth tourism to the United States. According to the legal filing, the company’s promotional materials claim to have facilitated the births of more than 1,000 babies to Chinese citizens on American soil.
The lawsuit brings several charges against the facility, including violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, tampering with governmental records, unlawful concealment and harboring of foreign nationals, and creating a public nuisance through alleged criminal activity.
According to the attorney general’s office, the center has expanded its operations from one residential property to four locations within Fort Bend County. The legal filing suggests that the operators are aware of the illegal nature of their activities, citing social media posts that allegedly advised Chinese women to apply for tourist visas before becoming pregnant to avoid government scrutiny.
The lawsuit further alleges that the center provides coaching services to clients on how to navigate immigration procedures and minimize legal scrutiny. This includes developing personalized immigration strategies and consulting on travel processes.
Questions have also been raised about the professional qualifications of the center’s operators. The attorney general’s office reports that searches for the operators’ names yielded no results in the Texas Board of Nursing License Verification Portal or the Texas Medical Board’s online database, despite the company’s website claiming affiliation with licensed physicians.
The legal action comes amid broader federal efforts to address birth tourism. Since January 2020, the federal government has explicitly prohibited travel to the United States for the purpose of giving birth. The issue of birthright citizenship itself has become a contentious legal matter currently under consideration by the Supreme Court.
The Texas attorney general is seeking several remedies through this lawsuit, including an injunction to cease all operations at the center. The state is also pursuing civil penalties of up to $10,000 for each violation of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
One operator of the facility declined to comment on the pending litigation when contacted, while another operator did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The case highlights ongoing tensions surrounding immigration policy and the interpretation of birthright citizenship laws. The lawsuit alleges that tourist visas cannot legally be issued for the purpose of giving birth in the United States, characterizing the center’s activities as perpetrating fraud against the government.
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