Texas Border Business
AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order directing state agencies to investigate and eliminate unlawful birth tourism schemes in Texas and hold accountable any licensed healthcare provider that facilitates such schemes.
“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,” said Governor Abbott. “This executive order directs state agencies to investigate birth tourism schemes and hold accountable any provider that facilitates this fraud. U.S. citizenship is not for sale, and Texas will put a stop to individuals seeking to profit from birth tourism.”
The executive order directs the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), the Department of State Health Services, the HHSC Office of Inspector General (OIG), 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 Texas’ healthcare industry.
Under the Governor’s executive order, these state 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.
Enforcement actions include revoking or suspending licenses, prohibiting participation in state contracts, denying state benefits, or pursuing other enforcement action under state law.
State agencies may also partner with federal prosecutors to identify and combat birth tourism schemes in Texas’ healthcare industry, including by sharing information and referring potential violations of federal law.
This executive order builds on previous action taken by Governor Abbott. On July 7, the Governor directed HHSC to launch an immediate investigation into Texas hospitals advertising birth tourism packages and to refer any violations of state law to the Office of the Attorney General for civil enforcement and to the appropriate district or county attorney for criminal prosecution. HHSC acted immediately by referring two Texas hospitals to the Attorney General in connection with alleged advertising of “birth packages” in Mexico.
Any Texan with information on birth tourism schemes should report it immediately to the HHSC OIG here. Tips may also be submitted to the Department of Justice here or to the appropriate U.S. Attorney’s Office in Texas.
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