(José Niño, Headline USA) Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is taking legal action against a Houston area birth tourism facility that allegedly helped more than 1,000 Chinese nationals secure American citizenship for their newborns, Breitbart reported.
The suit names the De’Ai Postpartum Care Center along with operators Lin Suling and Lai Wan Lin Chan. Paxton revealed the legal action last Wednesday, charging that the business was “exploiting birthright citizenship by unlawfully facilitating the invasion of Chinese nationals into Texas for the sole purpose of giving birth.”
Filed in Fort Bend County, the complaint alleges the center violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act and multiple sections of the Texas Penal Code. Paxton contends the operation instructed Chinese customers to lie about their reasons for traveling when applying for tourist visas.
“But this is not tourism. Tourist visas cannot be issued for this purpose. This is an unlawful scheme that perpetuates fraud on the government and violates Texas law,” the lawsuit states.
Court filings point to a recent TikTok video as proof the defendants intended to help clients evade detection. “Indeed, just last week, Defendants posted a video to TikTok acknowledging that the federal government is ‘strictly’ policing birth tourism and alerting Chinese women that ‘applying after pregnancy can easily lead to refusal.’ To overcome this prohibition, and avoid detection, Defendants recommended that women apply for their tourist visas ‘before pregnancy.'”
The operation launched in 2008 at a single Fort Bend County location handling up to five deliveries daily, according to court records. It has since expanded to four residential properties where expectant mothers stay during their pregnancies. Officials believe the facility can now handle as many as 20 births per day. The defendants have allegedly claimed credit for more than 1,000 American born babies.
The center advertises on Chinese social media platforms and offers services extending well beyond childbirth. The lawsuit alleges the defendants work “to coach expectant families through the visa process,” including preparing applications and preparing for interviews with U.S. Consulate officials in China. After delivery, the center promises to handle all necessary legal processes for the issuance of birth certificates, Social Security numbers, U.S. passports, and travel documents.
Paxton wants a permanent injunction forcing the center to close its Texas operations and is pursuing civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation of the Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
The case arrives as the Supreme Court weighs the constitutionality of birthright citizenship for children born to mothers with minimal connections to the United States, including those who entered illegally.
José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino
