Paxton sues Houston care center over alleged Chinese 'birth tourism' scheme

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued a Houston-area care center Wednesday for allegedly running an illegal "birth tourism" operation that helped Chinese nationals come to the state to give birth to babies so they are born in the U.S.

Paxton accused the De’Ai Postpartum Care Center of coaching clients who wanted to enter the United States to give birth on how to obtain tourist visas and how to time their trips to ensure they give birth while still in the country, including recommending women apply for a visa before becoming pregnant to avoid detection.

The state attorney general claimed the care center, which is run by Lin Suling and Lai Wan Lin-Chan, used social media to attract potential clients, including through TikTok, WeChat and Facebook.

“America is for Americans, not foreigners trying to cheat the system to claim citizenship,” Paxton said. “The center’s scheme not only facilitated an invasion of Texas, but it also involved shielding and facilitating violations of immigration law.

"Birthright citizenship is a scam that threatens national security, and I will do everything in my power to stop unlawful ‘birth tourism’ schemes like this one," he added.

Paxton said the pair currently own four properties in Texas, which can house multiple families at a time and facilitate up to 20 births per day. The alleged operation has been going on for over two decades, he said, and the company has noted that it has helped facilitate “1,000+ American-born babies.”

The case comes as the Trump administration seeks to crack down on "birth tourism" operations as the Supreme Court considers a challenge to President Donald Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship.

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