Texas Governor Greg Abbott has directed state health regulators to open an immediate investigation into a hospital in the Rio Grande Valley, accusing it of marketing so-called birth packages to foreign nationals seeking to secure U.S. citizenship for their children. In a letter sent Tuesday to Stephanie Muth, executive commissioner of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), Abbott alleged that Mission Regional Medical Center advertised 'BIRTH PACKAGES IN SOUTH TEXAS' in other countries, effectively profiting from what he described as an illegal practice.
'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. 'Thousands of foreign travelers come to the United States under false pretenses to give birth and secure citizenship for their children. HHSC must investigate the hospital, a facility it regulates, for any violations of state law and contractual obligations.'
Hospital Responds
A spokesperson for Mission Regional Medical Center pushed back against the governor's accusations, stating that the facility 'does not support or facilitate any unlawful activity' and remains committed to complying with all applicable laws. The spokesperson added that the marketing materials in question 'are no longer in use due to any unintended misunderstanding,' and that the hospital intends to 'work cooperatively and transparently with local and state officials.'
The public nonprofit hospital, located just north of the Texas-Mexico border in the city of Mission, operates under HHSC's regulatory oversight. The controversy comes just days after the Supreme Court ruled against the Trump administration's efforts to curtail birthright citizenship, a decision that has reignited debate over the 14th Amendment's guarantee of citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil. Republican leaders have since signaled they will push for legislative changes, with House Speaker Mike Johnson arguing that the practice of birth tourism 'devalues' the 14th Amendment.
Broader Political Context
The investigation order aligns with a broader GOP push to tighten immigration rules in the wake of the Supreme Court's ruling. White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller suggested in a recent Fox News interview that the U.S. could consider restricting entry for pregnant foreign women as a way to combat birth tourism. 'You have to now think very carefully about who you let into your country, even on a temporary basis, because of the possibility, as you said, for birth tourism,' Miller said.
Despite the political firestorm, data suggests birth tourism remains a relatively rare phenomenon. A Migration Policy Institute report released earlier this year estimated that up to 26,000 children born annually in the U.S.—less than 1 percent of the total 3.5 million births—could be linked to the practice. Immigration experts also note that U.S. Customs and Border Protection already has the authority to deny entry to pregnant women at the border without needing new legislation.
Abbott concluded his letter by vowing to work with the state legislature 'to strengthen state law and eliminate birth tourism in Texas.' He wrote, 'American citizenship is not for sale and Texas will not permit our healthcare system to be used as a magnet for birth tourism.' The Hill has reached out to HHSC for further details on the investigation's status.
