Foggy_Bottom
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Feds fight 'maternity tourism' with raids on California 'maternity hotels' - CNN.com
Los Angeles (CNN)Federal agents on Tuesday raided more than three dozen "maternity hotels" in Southern California where foreign women give birth, allegedly for the sole purpose of having a U.S.-citizen baby, authorities said.
The "maternity tourism" sites included apartment complexes in Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties where authorities believe the businesses housed the foreign nationals about to give birth, federal officials said.
Those targeted residences are believed to have catered largely to women from China, who paid $15,000 to $50,000 for lodging, transportation and food, according to a statement by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Those fees don't necessarily include medical care, authorities said.
Authorities are looking for evidence of bringing in and harboring of undocumented visitors; conspiracy, fraud and misuse of visas and permits; tax evasion and false tax returns; and willful failure to file report of foreign bank and financial accounts, court papers said.
"Based on the results of the investigations to date, it appears the women pay cash for prenatal visits and the actual delivery," U.S. authorities said. "As part of the package, clients were promised they would receive Social Security numbers and U.S. passports for their infants, which the mothers would take with them when they left the U.S."
Even trips to Disneyland
Some of the packages included recreational trips to Disneyland, shopping malls and even to a firing range, authorities said.
"Any women encountered at the search locations will be interviewed and those identified as potential material witnesses will be directed when and where to report for further questioning," authorities said Tuesday.
Investigators weren't expected Tuesday to comment further on the outcome of the raids, said ICE spokeswoman Virginia Kice.
The purported tourism businesses promoted themselves on the Internet and through social media, authorities said. One firm in Rancho Cucamonga, California, advertised in Chinese and branded itself as "You Win USA Vacation Resort."
Operators of that firm couldn't be immediately reached for comment Tuesday.
omg!
@Luca1 First Hong Kong and now here. Chinese women run away to have babies elsewhere, why? Is it because 2nd largest GDP is still a 3rd world country?
Los Angeles (CNN)Federal agents on Tuesday raided more than three dozen "maternity hotels" in Southern California where foreign women give birth, allegedly for the sole purpose of having a U.S.-citizen baby, authorities said.
The "maternity tourism" sites included apartment complexes in Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties where authorities believe the businesses housed the foreign nationals about to give birth, federal officials said.
Those targeted residences are believed to have catered largely to women from China, who paid $15,000 to $50,000 for lodging, transportation and food, according to a statement by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Those fees don't necessarily include medical care, authorities said.
Authorities are looking for evidence of bringing in and harboring of undocumented visitors; conspiracy, fraud and misuse of visas and permits; tax evasion and false tax returns; and willful failure to file report of foreign bank and financial accounts, court papers said.
"Based on the results of the investigations to date, it appears the women pay cash for prenatal visits and the actual delivery," U.S. authorities said. "As part of the package, clients were promised they would receive Social Security numbers and U.S. passports for their infants, which the mothers would take with them when they left the U.S."
Even trips to Disneyland
Some of the packages included recreational trips to Disneyland, shopping malls and even to a firing range, authorities said.
"Any women encountered at the search locations will be interviewed and those identified as potential material witnesses will be directed when and where to report for further questioning," authorities said Tuesday.
Investigators weren't expected Tuesday to comment further on the outcome of the raids, said ICE spokeswoman Virginia Kice.
The purported tourism businesses promoted themselves on the Internet and through social media, authorities said. One firm in Rancho Cucamonga, California, advertised in Chinese and branded itself as "You Win USA Vacation Resort."
Operators of that firm couldn't be immediately reached for comment Tuesday.
omg!
@Luca1 First Hong Kong and now here. Chinese women run away to have babies elsewhere, why? Is it because 2nd largest GDP is still a 3rd world country?
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