Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has asked state health officials to investigate Mission Regional Medical Center after the hospital advertised maternity services on billboards in Mexico. Abbott said the advertisements appeared to promote what he described as “birth tourism” by encouraging foreign nationals to travel to Texas to give birth.
The request was sent to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, which oversees hospitals regulated by the state. Abbott wants the agency to determine whether the hospital violated any state laws or contractual obligations. If investigators find possible violations, he said the case should be referred to the Texas attorney general for civil action and to local prosecutors to consider criminal charges.
The billboards were reportedly located in Reynosa, Mexico, across the border from Mission, Texas. Written in Spanish, the advertisements promoted “birth packages in South Texas” and listed prices of $3,950 for a natural delivery and $5,525 for a cesarean section. They also advertised private rooms, breastfeeding support, and 24-hour parent visits. The signs included the website havemybabyintexas.com, which has since been taken down.
Photos of the advertisements spread online after conservative commentator David J. Harris Jr. shared them on Facebook during the July 4 holiday. Former U.S. Rep. Mayra Flores had also posted an image of the billboard several months earlier, saying it was displayed in Reynosa.
Abbott’s office said the hospital appeared to be targeting people from outside the United States in order to profit from birth tourism. The governor said Texas should not allow its healthcare system to be used for that purpose and called for an immediate investigation into the hospital’s actions.
Mission Regional Medical Center denied breaking any laws. In a statement, the hospital said it provides information about its medical services in the same way many healthcare providers do and does not support or assist unlawful activity. It also said the maternity advertising campaign has been discontinued because it created an unintended misunderstanding.
The hospital added that it plans to cooperate with state and local officials if an investigation moves forward. It said its priority continues to be providing safe, high-quality care to patients.
The issue has drawn attention just days after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that children born in the United States are citizens under the 14th Amendment, regardless of their parents’ immigration status. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that people born in the country are citizens at birth under the Constitution.
President Donald Trump criticized the ruling on Truth Social and said he would ask the Supreme Court to reconsider the case. State Rep. Brad Buckley also commented on the issue, saying Texas is not required to spend taxpayer money creating state documents for people who are in the country illegally.
Federal officials have also increased their focus on birth tourism investigations. The Department of Justice recently directed federal prosecutors to give priority to cases involving alleged birth tourism schemes. A State Department spokesman said authorities have uncovered networks that teach people how to deceive visa officers in order to enter the United States, adding that traveling to the country solely to obtain citizenship for a child is not considered a legitimate reason for receiving a visa.
Abbott has said he plans to continue pursuing legal and legislative action against practices he believes exploit U.S. citizenship. State Rep. Brian Harrison has proposed making birth tourism operations a felony and has also called for Texas to stop issuing birth certificates to children born to non-citizens.
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