US Republican lawmakers investigate birth tourism schemes

Republican lawmakers are intensifying investigations into birth tourism, alleging that organized schemes involving foreign nationals traveling to the United States to give birth constitute fraud and a threat to national security. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer stated that the industry engages in criminal activity that exploits immigration laws and drains taxpayer-funded resources.

The committee’s Task Force on Defending Constitutional Rights and Exposing Institutional Abuses held a hearing on September 1 to examine the prevalence of these schemes. Investigators are probing several companies accused of facilitating birth tourism, noting that some industry operators have invoked the Fifth Amendment during questioning. Lawmakers expressed concerns that businesses are helping individuals from adversarial nations secure U.S. citizenship for their children through these methods.