Attorney General Ken Paxton (R-TX) filed a lawsuit Wednesday against a Houston-area business called De'Ai Postpartum Care Center, accusing it of helping Chinese nationals travel to the United States specifically to give birth and obtain citizenship for their children.
The center, which has operated out of several properties in the Sugar Land and Richmond areas since 2008, markets itself as a luxury maternity service.
According to the lawsuit, the business has proudly claimed responsibility for over 1,000 American-born babies delivered through its program. Packages like these typically run families tens of thousands of dollars.
AG Paxton argues the operation crosses legal lines in several ways. At the heart of the case is what's known as birthright citizenship, the constitutional principle that anyone born on U.S. soil automatically becomes an American citizen.
Current Claims
The lawsuit claims the center coached clients on how to apply for tourist visas without disclosing their true reasons for travel, in violation of federal immigration law.
Since January 2020, the U.S. government has officially prohibited issuing tourist visas when the main purpose of travel is to give birth.
The center apparently knew it was treading on thin ice. Just days before the lawsuit was filed, it posted a TikTok video acknowledging the federal government was cracking down on birth tourism, and advised women to apply for visas before getting pregnant to avoid being turned away.
State investigators say the business ran a thorough operation, coaching families through visa interviews, arranging transportation, handling paperwork for newborns, including passports and Social Security numbers, and even organizing sightseeing trips around Houston to keep up appearances as tourists.
Paxton is charging the center with deceptive trade practices, tampering with government records, and illegally sheltering people from immigration authorities. He is asking the court to shut the business down entirely and is seeking over one million dollars in penalties.
The two named operators, Vivian Lin and Danny Lin, have not publicly responded to the allegations. Neither appears in Texas nursing or medical board records, despite the center advertising licensed medical oversight.
The case will be heard in Fort Bend County District Court.
