Hospital Caught Selling Birth Packages Across Border

Newborn babies in a hospital nursery.

A Texas hospital placed billboards in Mexico advertising cut-rate birth packages — and Governor Greg Abbott wants answers.

Story Snapshot

  • Mission Regional Medical Center in Mission, Texas, confirmed it ran Spanish-language billboards near the U.S.-Mexico border advertising “Birth Packages in South Texas” starting at $3,950.
  • Governor Abbott ordered the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to investigate the hospital for possible violations of state law and its contractual obligations.
  • The hospital pulled the billboards and took down its website — havemybabyinTEXAS.com — after images spread on social media.
  • Abbott called birth tourism an illegal practice and directed that any violations be sent to the Texas Attorney General for civil action and to local prosecutors for possible criminal charges.

Hospital Caught Selling Birth Packages Across the Border

Mission Regional Medical Center, a hospital in Mission, Texas, confirmed to Fox News that it ran a marketing campaign targeting foreign nationals just across the U.S.-Mexico border. The Spanish-language billboards advertised “Birth Packages in South Texas” and pointed viewers to a dedicated website. Natural births started at $3,950. C-sections were listed at $5,525. The ads ran within five miles of a border crossing.

Once images of the billboards spread on social media, the hospital moved fast. It pulled the billboards and shut down the website. A hospital spokesperson said the marketing materials were removed due to an “unintended misunderstanding.” The hospital also said it does not support unlawful activity. But the quick removal raised more questions than it answered — especially about what the website actually told potential patients.

Abbott Steps In: “Citizenship Is Not for Sale”

Governor Abbott sent a formal letter directing the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to investigate Mission Regional Medical Center immediately. Abbott called birth tourism “an illegal practice that exploits the extraordinary hospitality that the United States and Texas offer to millions of foreign travelers each year.” He directed the commission to look for violations of state law and the hospital’s contractual obligations.

Abbott also told the commission to refer any violations to the Texas Attorney General for civil enforcement. He wants local district and county attorneys brought in for possible criminal prosecution as well. The governor made clear that the state takes this seriously. His message was direct: the U.S. citizenship that comes with being born on American soil is not a product to be marketed and sold to foreign nationals.

Texas Is Fighting Back Against Birth Tourism Statewide

This case is not happening in a vacuum. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has already filed a lawsuit against a Houston-area postpartum care business accused of helping more than 1,000 Chinese nationals give birth in the U.S. That operation allegedly coached foreign nationals to lie on visa applications to get into the country. Texas is one of the most aggressive states in the country when it comes to cracking down on birth tourism schemes.

At the federal level, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform launched its own investigation into businesses that profit from birth tourism by exploiting U.S. immigration law. The push is growing. States and Congress are both moving toward treating birth tourism advertising as a deceptive and potentially illegal practice — not a legitimate medical service. Mission Regional Medical Center walked right into the middle of that fight.

What Comes Next for the Hospital

The investigation is now in the hands of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. Investigators may seek archived content from the now-deleted website, internal hospital marketing files, and billing records tied to foreign patients. If those records show the hospital was actively helping foreign nationals gain U.S. citizenship for their children as a business model, the legal exposure could be significant — both civil and criminal.

The hospital’s defense so far is thin. Calling a border-targeted, Spanish-language birth package campaign an “unintended misunderstanding” is a hard sell. The billboards were real, the website was real, and the prices were clearly listed. Texas voters and taxpayers deserve to know whether a hospital operating in their state was turning American citizenship into a product — and whether anyone will be held accountable for it.

Sources:

twitchy.com, yahoo.com, facebook.com

Daily News Digest

2026 Daily 360. All Rights Reserved.