Governor Greg Abbott Orders Probe into Texas Hospital Birth Tourism

Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to investigate Mission Regional Medical Center after the hospital confirmed it used Spanish-language billboards in Mexico and a website to advertise childbirth services to foreign nationals. The marketing campaign, which began in 2021 and utilized the domain havemybabyinTEXAS.com, promoted birth packages starting at $3,950 for natural deliveries and $5,525 for C-sections. The billboards included the U.S. country code to facilitate calls from Mexico.

Abbott asserted that American citizenship is not for sale and stated that Texas would not permit its healthcare system to be used as a magnet for birth tourism. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission is probing the facility for potential violations of state law and contractual obligations.

Mission Regional Medical Center removed the marketing materials and canceled the domain, describing the situation as an unintended misunderstanding and denying any support for unlawful activity. These state actions coincide with a U.S. Department of Justice directive for federal prosecutors to prioritize birth tourism schemes. Additionally, House Speaker Mike Johnson is considering legislation to bar pregnant women from entering the United States if their primary intent is to obtain citizenship for their children.