US federal agents raid 'birth tour' facilities | The Compost Bin | Forums

 this is a thing?

US federal agents have raided dozens of sites in California where pregnant women mainly from China are staying to give birth on US soil so their babies will obtain US citizenship.

Immigration officials and police on Tuesday searched about 40 locations, including homes where women taking part in such maternity tours were staying.

The officials say tour operators who arranged travel, lodging and obstetric care are suspected of falsely reporting why the women were visiting the US.

The officials say maternity tours are increasingly popular among wealthy Chinese. By US law, babies born in the United States are granted citizenship regardless of their parents' nationalities.

Officials say the women are believed to have paid 15,000 to 50,000 dollars each for a short stay in California to give birth.

Local media say such a large-scale raid is the first of its kind. Immigration officials plan to investigate the legality of the tours.

http://www3.nhk.or.j.....04_34.html