Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order Tuesday directing state agencies to investigate and penalize health care facilities that facilitate “birth tourism,” signaling a fresh escalation in the state’s immigration enforcement efforts.

Under the new directive, state regulatory agencies must probe medical providers accused of helping foreign nationals travel to Texas specifically to give birth. Facilities found violating state guidelines face severe consequences, including license suspensions, revocations, and the forfeiture of state contracts.

“U.S. citizenship is not for sale, and Texas will put a stop to individuals seeking to profit from birth tourism,” Abbott stated.

What Is Birth Tourism and Is It Legal?

Birth tourism describes the practice of pregnant foreign nationals traveling to the United States so their children automatically receive American citizenship under the 14th Amendment.

While giving birth on U.S. soil as a visitor is not inherently illegal, federal regulations prohibit issuing tourist visas if the primary intent of the trip is to secure citizenship for a child. The issue has long been a flashpoint for conservative lawmakers. President Donald Trump targeted the practice during his first term and issued an executive order attempting to end birthright citizenship shortly after taking office again in 2025. However, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the effort last month, reaffirming that the Constitution guarantees citizenship to nearly everyone born on U.S. soil.

Despite the ruling, Texas Republicans have pushed for aggressive local action. State Representative Brian Harrison (R-Midlothian) called for a special legislative session to address the issue, while U.S. Representative Brandon Gill (R-Flower Mound) claimed the practice occurs on a massive scale.

Recent Border Hospital Investigation

The executive order follows Abbott’s recent instruction to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to investigate Mission Regional Medical Center, located near the southern border.

The facility drew political backlash after Spanish-language advertisements surfaced online detailing delivery costs and linking to a now-defunct website, havemybabyintexas.com. Hospital representatives subsequently removed the promotional materials and pledged full cooperation with state and local investigators.

How Widespread Is the Practice?

No single federal agency maintains precise records on birth tourism, forcing researchers to rely on demographic estimates from public health data:

Source	Annual Birth Estimate	Context / Methodology
CDC (2024)	~9,600 births	Total live births registered to non-U.S. residents (includes all temporary visitors).
Penn State Study (2026)	5,000 – 10,000 births	Based on National Center for Health Statistics data; represents roughly 0.3% of total annual U.S. births.
Center for Immigration Studies (2020)	20,000 – 26,000 births	Upper-bound estimate calculated by a right-leaning think tank advocating for stricter immigration controls.

What’s Next for Texas Policy

Abbott announced plans to expand this executive directive into permanent legislation, confirming he will ask state lawmakers to tighten statutory language and eliminate birth tourism when the Texas Legislature reconvenes next year.