A central issue in the conservative argument against broadly interpreting the concept of birthright citizenship is that it provides an incentive for foreign nationals to enter the United States long enough to have a baby, who would then be declared an American citizen.
And while leftists insist such cases are rare, an investigation recently launched by Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott suggests otherwise.
As the Daily Wire reported:
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott instructed the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to launch an investigation into Mission Regional Medical Center on Tuesday over allegations that the hospital profited from the abuse of birthright citizenship in the United States. Viral images circulating on social media showed the billboards offering “birth packages” of up to $5,525 through a website named “havemybabyinTEXAS.com.”
ADVERTISEMENTThe webpage quietly went offline just hours before Abbott’s announcement, according to Chron.com.
Mission Regional Medical Center confirmed that it was responsible for the billboards, which were written in both English and Spanish, Fox News reported.
“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. “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,” Abbott added.
Texas will not permit the exploitation of its healthcare system or its citizenship laws.
Governor Abbott will fight birth tourism and hold accountable any hospital or facility that profits from it. pic.twitter.com/VJvqPiKGPc
— Governor Hot Wheels (@GovHotWheels_TX) July 8, 2026
The news sparked some social media attention:
🚨 JUST IN: President Trump is formally requesting the Supreme Court RE-HEAR the birthright citizenship case as these billboards pop up in Texas advocating for Mexicans to cross the border and have birth here
The billboard campaign has now been PULLED
"HAVEMYBABYINTEXAS DOT… pic.twitter.com/BxCRrNJx9n
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) July 9, 2026
🚨Texas hospital caught advertising 'birth packages' right on the southern border.
$3,950 for a natural birth and…citizenship included?
This is straight-up exploitation of the 14th Amendment.
The amendment intended to protect the children of freed slaves after the Civil War,… pic.twitter.com/H7kZNHWw8F
— Rep. Wesley Hunt Press Office (@RepWPH) July 9, 2026
NewsNation added these details:
The hospital said it advertises its medical services just like other hospitals and will cooperate with the state.
But Abbott said the campaign appears to have targeted foreign nationals who wanted their children born in the United States.
Under the Fourteenth Amendment, most children born on American soil receive U.S. citizenship at birth.
Later in the same article:
Abbott wants any potential violations referred to the state attorney general for civil action and to local prosecutors for possible criminal charges.
President Donald Trump also weighed in on Truth Social, calling this “a crime, and therefore, the Supreme Court’s ruling is wrong. I will be asking for a rehearing by the United States Supreme Court, immediately.”
Here’s some additional coverage:
DELIVERY DEAL? Governor Greg Abbott has ordered a state investigation into a South Texas hospital over an alleged “birth tourism” operation that marketed flat-rate maternity services to foreign nationals.
The facility’s bilingual billboards and… pic.twitter.com/yuHtrawsUf
— FOX & Friends (@foxandfriends) July 8, 2026
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