Paxton shuts down Birth Tourism Center

Ken Paxton Shuts Down Alleged ‘Birth Tourism Center’ He Says Helped Chinese Nationals

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Friday that a Houston area postpartum care business accused of helping Chinese nationals travel to the United States to give birth has been shut down following a months-long legal fight.

De’Ai Postpartum Care Center agreed to cease operations after Paxton sued the business in April, alleging that it marketed extensively to Chinese nationals and helped women come to Texas to give birth so their children would receive American citizenship.

“I will do everything in my power to stop foreign nationals from unlawfully exploiting our immigration system through the scam of ‘birth tourism,’” Paxton said Friday. “This operation helped Chinese foreign nationals come to Texas to evade our laws. Now, we have shut it down.”

Paxton’s office alleged when it filed suit that De’Ai had spent more than two decades helping Chinese clients travel to the United States and claimed to have assisted with the births of more than 1,000 “American-born babies.” The operation reportedly maintained locations in Houston, Sugar Land, Richmond and Rosenberg.

According to the state’s lawsuit, the business also advised prospective clients on navigating immigration rules, including allegedly telling women to obtain tourist visas before becoming pregnant in order to avoid questions about the purpose of their travel.

Paxton accused the center of facilitating violations of immigration law and Texas law. The defendants denied the allegations in court before the case resulted in the center’s closure, according to Texas Public Radio reporting earlier this month.

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