Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against De'Ai Postpartum Care Center, accusing the Houston-area business of running an unlawful "birth tourism" operation that allegedly brought foreign nationals to Texas so their newborns could claim U.S. citizenship. The civil complaint, filed Wednesday, April 29, 2026, asks a state judge to shut the operation down and impose penalties and fees if the allegations hold up in court.
The complaint, as reported by News Radio 1200 WOAI, alleges the center marketed birth-related services primarily to Chinese clients on Chinese social platforms, coached customers on immigration procedures and advised women to apply for visas "before pregnancy" to avoid detection. According to WOAI, the suit describes an operation that stretched across at least four properties in the Houston area, including Sugar Land, Richmond and Rosenberg, and claims the business "facilitates up to twenty births per day" while the center touts more than "1,000+ American-born babies."
"America is for Americans, not foreigners trying to cheat the system to claim citizenship," Paxton said in the filing, which accuses the defendants of deceptive trade practices, tampering with governmental records, unlawful harboring and concealment, among other alleged violations. The attorney general is asking for injunctive relief to halt the operation, along with civil penalties and attorneys' fees as part of the civil action, according to News Radio 1200 WOAI.
What birth tourism means in practice
Birth tourism generally refers to pregnant people traveling to another country to give birth so their children receive citizenship based on birthplace. The concept sits at the center of a broader, heated national debate over birthright citizenship. That debate has ramped up this month as the U.S. Supreme Court weighed related questions about birthright rules and executive action, as reported by the AP.
Federal precedent and enforcement
Federal authorities have gone after suspected birth tourism networks before when they believed there was evidence of visa fraud, money laundering or other criminal activity. In a high-profile 2019 action, federal prosecutors unsealed indictments charging dozens of people tied to Chinese-linked birth tourism schemes. Justice Department records describe how such cases often center on false statements in visa paperwork and sham rental arrangements that help conceal the purpose of travel.
Local footprint and next steps
Chinese-language community listings identify a "德爱月子中心" (De'Ai Postpartum) with Houston-area contact numbers, suggesting the operation has an established foothold in the local market. Meipian shows contact information for the center. The civil case will move forward in state court, where Paxton's office is asking a judge for immediate injunctive relief, and the defendants will have an opportunity to respond and contest the claims.
By targeting a local operator that allegedly plugged Houston into a global birth tourism pipeline, Paxton's lawsuit drops Houston squarely into a wider national fight over birthright citizenship and immigration policy. The outcome could set the tone for how aggressively similar operations are scrutinized in other states as the litigation unfolds.
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