Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered an investigation into a hospital near the Mexican border over concerns it was selling a path to American citizenship through childbirth packages that exploit citizenship and state health services.
Recently, Mission Regional Medical Center in the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas faced scrutiny for 'birth tourism' after running billboards in Mexico. The term 'anchor baby' refers to a child born in the U.S. to foreigners, granting automatic birthright citizenship.
The hospital allegedly advertised the packages across the border in Mexico but insists it did nothing illegal. Packages included a natural delivery starting at $3,950 and a C-section starting at $5,525. Mission Regional Medical Center in the Rio Grande Valley confirmed the campaign which reportedly began in 2021.
Abbott said the campaign appears to have targeted foreigners who want their children born in the United States, adding, “Texas will not permit our healthcare system to be used as a magnet for birth tourism.”
Abbott ordered the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to investigate whether the hospital violated state law or any of its contractual obligations as well as wanting any potential violations referred to the state attorney general for civil action and to local prosecutors for possible criminal charges.
The advertising billboard in question included “Come to South Texas, have your baby and pay one set price,” and had a number for Mission Regional Medical Center and sent families to a website called “Have My Baby in Texas.” The website is now offline.
“There is nothing in the United States Constitution that requires the state of Texas to use state tax dollars to direct state employees to create state documents and then hand them to illegal aliens,” said state Rep. Brad Buckley.
The United States is currently executing an aggressive federal crackdown to dismantle international birth tourism networks. Following a June 2026 Supreme Court ruling that upheld the 14th Amendment's guarantee of birthright citizenship, the Trump administration shifted its strategy. Instead of targeting the citizenship of the babies, federal agencies are aggressively prosecuting the commercial operations, 'fixers,' and pregnant travelers who commit visa fraud to enter the country.
On July 1, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Deputy Attorney General Colin McDonald issued a strict directive ordering federal prosecutors, the FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of birth tourism schemes. While giving birth on U.S. soil is legal, misrepresenting the intent of a visit or lying during a consular interview constitutes federal visa fraud.
The DOJ is aggressively pursuing commercial 'maternity homes' and agencies—particularly those with ties to China and Russia—that instruct clients to hide their pregnancies. Because the Supreme Court blocked direct executive action against birthright citizenship, congressional Republicans are moving to solidify restrictions. Lawmakers like Sen. Marsha Blackburn and Sen. Jim Banks have introduced bills, including the Ban Birth Tourism Act, aiming to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act. These proposals seek to explicitly outlaw birth tourism as a valid reason for temporary visas, classify it as a deportable offense, and restrict citizenship for children of temporary or unauthorized visitors.