AUSTIN – Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order Tuesday directing state agencies to investigate and crack down on unlawful “birth tourism” schemes in Texas and to take enforcement action against licensed health care providers found to facilitate them.
Abbott said Texas “will not tolerate the exploitation of our immigration laws by individuals traveling to the United States illegally or under false pretenses to give birth and secure citizenship for their child.” He added, “U.S. citizenship is not for sale, and Texas will put a stop to individuals seeking to profit from birth tourism.”
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The order directs the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, the Department of State Health Services, the HHSC Office of Inspector General, the Texas Medical Board, the Texas Board of Nursing and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation to investigate claims of birth tourism schemes within the state’s health care industry.
Under the order, agencies must take enforcement action against any licensed or regulated individual or entity found to be advertising, soliciting, engaging in, assisting with, providing or otherwise participating in unlawful birth tourism schemes.
Potential penalties include revoking or suspending licenses, prohibiting participation in state contracts, denying state benefits or pursuing other enforcement action under state law, according to the governor’s office.
The order also allows state agencies to partner with federal prosecutors to identify and combat birth tourism schemes, including by sharing information and referring potential federal law violations.
Abbott said the order builds on prior action. On July 7, he directed HHSC to investigate Texas hospitals advertising birth tourism packages and to refer potential violations of state law to the Texas attorney general for civil enforcement and to local prosecutors for possible criminal charges. HHSC later referred two hospitals to the attorney general in connection with alleged advertising of “birth packages” in Mexico, the governor’s office said.
Abbott’s office urged Texans with information about birth tourism schemes to report it to the HHSC Office of Inspector General. Tips may also be submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice or to the appropriate U.S. attorney’s office in Texas.