Greg Abbott Says 'American Citizenship Is Not for Sale,' Orders Birth Tourism Investigation

Gov.

Greg Abbott (R-Texas) ordered an investigation into Mission Regional Medical Center over allegations that the hospital marketed "BIRTH PACKAGES IN SOUTH TEXAS" to foreign nationals as part of an effort to profit from birth tourism.

Abbott Launches Birth Tourism Probe On Tuesday, Abbott directed the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to conduct an immediate investigation into reports that Mission Regional Medical Center advertised "BIRTH PACKAGES IN SOUTH TEXAS" in foreign countries and targeted international patients.

The governor said the practice, known as birth tourism, exploits U.S. citizenship laws and accused some foreign travelers of using pretenses to enter the country for childbirth.

"Birth tourism is an illegal practice that exploits the extraordinary hospitality that the United States and Texas offer to millions of foreign travelers each year," Abbott said in a statement.