AUSTIN (LN) — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued De'Ai Postpartum Care Center on Tuesday, accusing the Houston-area operation of coaching Chinese nationals to lie on visa applications, harboring them across four properties in the Houston area, and tampering with government records — all in service of a birth tourism business the center itself brags has produced more than 1,000 American-born babies.
The lawsuit, filed April 29, targets what Paxton's office describes as nearly two decades of unlawful operation. Investigators say the center marketed its services primarily through Chinese social media platforms and websites, and actively advised clients on how to conceal the true purpose of their travel when applying for U.S. visas.
The center's own recent guidance, cited in the release, acknowledged that the federal government is "strictly" policing birth tourism and recommended that women apply for visas "before pregnancy" in order to avoid detection — a fact Paxton's office says shows operators knew U.S. visas are prohibited for birth tourism purposes.
Investigators identified four properties tied to the operation: 211 Birch Hill Dr. in Sugar Land, 9201 Clarewood Dr., Unit 5, in Houston, 1903 Granite Field Ln. in Richmond, and 7506 Summer Night Ln. in Rosenberg. The center typically housed multiple families at each location simultaneously, facilitating up to twenty births per day, according to the attorney general's office.
The state is pursuing claims of deceptive trade practices, tampering with governmental records, and unlawful harboring and concealment under Texas law, including the Texas Penal Code. Paxton is seeking injunctive relief to shut down the operation, civil penalties, and attorneys' fees.
"America is for Americans, not foreigners trying to cheat the system to claim citizenship," Paxton said in a statement. "The Center's scheme not only facilitated an invasion of Texas, but it also involved shielding and facilitating violations of immigration law. Birthright citizenship is a scam that threatens national security, and I will do everything in my power to stop unlawful 'birth tourism' schemes like this one."
The docket number and the full list of named defendants were not publicly available at the time of filing.