Feds Raid California ‘maternity Hotels’ For Birth Tourists

NappyNelle

Kinky Coily 4A, Fine Strands, WSL
Southern California apartment complexes that doubled as "maternity hotels" for Chinese women who want made-in-America babies were raided early Tuesday, capping an unprecedented federal sting operation, officials said.

NBC News was on the scene as Homeland Security agents swept into The Carlyle, a luxury property in Irvine, California, which housed pregnant women and new moms who allegedly forked over $40,000 to $80,000 to give birth in the United States.

"I am doing this for the education of the next generation," one of the women told NBC News.

None of the women were arrested; they are being treated as material witnesses, and paramedics were on hand in case any of them went into labor during the sweep.

Instead, the investigation was aimed at ringleaders who pocketed hundreds of thousands of dollars tax-free to help Chinese nationals obtain visas and then pamper them until they delivered in an American hospital at a discount, court papers show.

"It's not necessarily illegal to come here to have the baby, but if you lie about your reasons for coming here, that's visa fraud," said Claude Arnold, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations for Los Angeles.

All told, the feds raided 20 locations in Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties, targeting three competing birth tourism schemes, officials said. The suspected operators have not been charged but are being questioned.

The organizers who allegedly ran the Carlyle site, Chao Chen and Dong Li, used a website to drum up business, touting the benefits of a child with U.S. citizenship: 13 years of free education, low-cost college financial aid, less pollution, and a path for the entire family to emigrate when the child becomes an adult.


Image from a website that federal authorities say was used to recruit Chinese women to come to the U.S. to have their babies. youyunmeiguo
Clients were counseled on what lies to tell to obtain a tourist visa; how to fly through Hawaii, Las Vegas or Korea to avoid suspicious immigration officers at Los Angeles International Airport; and how to disguise their pregnancy in transit, according to search warrant affidavit unsealed Tuesday.

The women were then set up at the Carlyle, which charges about $3,000 a month for a two-bedroom apartment and features amenities including private balconies, a resort-style pool, and cabanas with flat-screen televisions.

A neighbor, Linda Trust, told NBC News she did find it strange that she had seen a forklift deliver a huge pile of diapers to the buildings but had never seen a baby.

The women's handlers provided transportation for doctor visits and trips to restaurants and shops, the court papers say. An agent tailing one of the suspects followed them to Target and Babies R Us.

They were funneled to several Orange County hospitals to deliver, but they didn't pay full price — approximately $25,000 — for medical services, officials said. Instead, they got reduced rates for the indigent, ranging from nothing to $4,000, the court papers say.

That translated into big losses for the hospitals. More than 400 babies linked to the scheme were born at just one facility in a two-year period, investigators said.

The investigators discovered that the parents of one baby born in April 2014 who paid the hospital just $4,000 were spending money at the Wynn Las Vegas Hotel, Rolex and Louis Vuitton, using an account with almost a quarter of a million dollars in it.

The fraud, authorities say, went beyond the visas.

Li didn't file a U.S. tax return and Chen didn't declare hundreds of thousands of dollars in proceeds, the affidavit says. In addition, Chen and his wife, Jie Zhu committed marriage fraud, pretending to be divorced so they could get "green-card" marriages in the U.S., the feds charged.

Efforts to reach Chen, Zhu and Li by phone were unsuccessful. It was not clear if they have retained legal counsel.

The phenomenon of foreigners coming to the U.S. to have babies is not new but appears to be growing. One study found that 40,000 children a year are born to women here on a travel visa, the affidavit notes.


Image from a website that federal authorities say was used to recruit Chinese women to come to the U.S. to have their babies.
Tuesday's crackdown marked the first large-scale federal probe of birth-tourism kingpins in the continental U.S.

In addition to the operation at the Carlyle, the feds zeroed in on two other alleged schemes.

Wen Rui Deng, Li Yan Lang and Wen Shan Sun were accused of charging women $10,000 to $25,000 to put them up at the Pheasant Ridge apartments in Rowland Heights, where the "one dragon service" included baby nurses, the court papers say.

A company called USA Happy Baby, run by Michael Wei Yueh Liu and Jing Dong, set up at The Reserves apartments in Rancho Cucamonga, authorities charged.

The probe into the Carlyle started in June 2014 when the Irvine Police Department received an anonymous tip about the scheme that was turned over to Homeland Security. Separately, U.S. Customs and Immigration Services received a similar tip.


Image from a website that federal authorities say was used to recruit Chinese women to come to the U.S. to have their babies.
An agent posed as a client who wanted to arrange for his cousin to give birth in America, and got Chen to spill the details of the scheme — from how his China-based employees would "prep" the woman for her consulate interview to why she should not fly straight to LA.

"I don't do it because it's too risky," he said. "That's because 90 percent of the work is already done before they come over, and if they get sent back on the same plane, then I'm the one to blame for it."

The investigators went through Li's trash, examined hospital records, followed the suspects and their clients on a trip to a Chinese restaurant and combed through bank records.

At one point, Chen was caught on tape fretting to the undercover that the government might realize he was not paying taxes he owed on money he collected in China.

"I do file taxes but there are so any things that I can't explain clearly," he said.

Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/feds-raid-l-maternity-hotel-birth-tourists-n315996
 

NappyNelle

Kinky Coily 4A, Fine Strands, WSL
SO when are we gonna raid the Russians doing this is Miami?

I was just about to add that article!

Birth tourism brings Russian baby boom to Miami

MIAMI — Lured by the charm of little Havana or the glamour of South Beach, some 15 million tourists visit Miami every year.

But for a growing number of Russian women, the draw isn't sunny beaches or pulsing nightclubs. It's U.S. citizenship for their newborn children.

In Moscow, it's a status symbol to have a Miami-born baby, and social media is full of Russian women boasting of their little americantsy.


Why Russian mothers-to-be are rushing to Florida to give birth4:14
"It's really common," said Ekaterina Kuznetsova, 29. "When I was taking the plane to come here, it was not only me. It was four or five women flying here."

Ekaterina was one of dozens of Russian birth tourists NBC News spoke to over the past four months about a round-trip journey that costs tens of thousands of dollars and takes them away from home for weeks or months.

Why do they come?

"American passport is a big plus for the baby. Why not?" Olesia Reshetova, 31, told NBC News.

"And the doctors, the level of education," Kuznetsova added.

The weather doesn't hurt, either.

"It's a very comfortable place for staying in wintertime," Oleysa Suhareva said.


Oleysa Suhareva traveled from Russia to Miami to give birth. Courtesy Oleysa Suhareva
It's not just the Russians who are coming. Chinese moms-to-be have been flocking to Southern California to give birth for years.

What they are doing is completely legal, as long as they don't lie on any immigration or insurance paperwork. In fact, it's protected by the 14th amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which says anyone born on American soil is automatically a citizen.

The child gets a lifelong right to live and work and collect benefits in the U.S. And when they turn 21 they can sponsor their parents' application for an American green card.

As president, Donald Trump has indicated he is opposed to so-called chain migration, which gives U.S. citizens the right to sponsor relatives, because of recent terror attacks. And as a candidate, he called for an end to birthright citizenship, declaring it in one of his first policy papers the "biggest magnet for illegal immigration."

"You have to get rid of it," he said on "Meet the Press" on NBC. "They're having a baby and all of a sudden — nobody knows — the baby is here. You have no choice."

In a twist, as the Daily Beast first reported, condo buildings that bear the Trump name are the most popular for the out-of-town obstetric patients, although the units are subleased from the individual owners and it's not clear if building management is aware.

There is no indication that Trump or the Trump Organization is profiting directly from birth tourism; the company and the White House did not respond to requests for comment.

Roman Bokeria, the state director of the Florida Association of Realtors told NBC News that Trump- branded buildings in the Sunny Isles Beach area north of Miami are particularly popular with the Russian birth tourists and Russian immigrants.

"Sunny Isles beach has a nickname — Little Russia — because people who are moving from Russian-speaking countries to America, they want … a familiar environment."

"They go across the street, they have Russian market, Russian doctor, Russian lawyer," he added. "It's very comfortable for them."


Oleysa Suhareva's baby became an American citizen by being born in Miami. Courtesy Oleysa Suhareva
Reshetova came to Miami to have her first child, hiring an agency to help arrange her trip. The services — which can include finding apartments and doctors and obtaining visas — don't come cheap. She expects to pay close to $50,000, and some packages run as high as $100,000. Bokeria says some landlords ask for six months rent up front.

One firm, Miami Mama, says it brings about 100 Russian and Russian-speaking clients to the U.S. per year, 30 percent of them repeat clients. The owners are Irina and Konstantin Lubnevskiy, who bought Miami Mama after using the firm to have two American children themselves.

The couple says they counsel clients to be completely transparent with U.S. immigration officials that they're expecting.

"We tell every client, 'You have the documents, you have to tell the truth. This is America. They like the truth here,'" Konstantin said.

"I would like the American people to understand they don't have to worry," he added. "Those who come here want to become part of the American people."

But Miami Mami has drawn scrutiny from law enforcement. In June, it was raided by the FBI, and an employee was convicted of making false statements on passport applications. The owners say they knew nothing about it, fired the worker and their business license was renewed.

Federal prosecutors declined to comment on the case, and the FBI said it could not discuss "an active investigation."

There is no official data on birth tourism in the United States. The Center for Immigration Studies, which wants stricter limits on immigration, estimates there are 36,000 babies born in the U.S. to foreign nationals a year, though the numbers could be substantially lower. Florida says births in the state by all foreign nationals who live outside the United States have jumped 200 percent since 2000.

Customs and Border Protection says there are no laws governing whether pregnant foreign nationals can enter the country or give birth here.

"However, if a pregnant woman or anyone else uses fraud or deception to obtain a visa or gain admission to the United States, that would constitute a criminal act," the agency said.

When federal agents raided California "maternity hotels" catering to Chinese clients in 2015, authorities said in court papers that some of the families falsely claimed they were indigent and got reduced hospital rates.

In Miami, the Jackson Health System said 72 percent of international maternity patients — who represented 8 percent of all patients giving birth last year — pay with insurance or through a pre-arranged package.

Reshetova said she understands the concerns some have about birth tourism, because it's also an issue in Russia.

"But I pay by myself," she said. "I pay with my money, bring it here to America. I'm not going to take something to America.

"I don't know what my daughter will choose in future. But if I can spend money — my money — for her choice, why not?"

Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/birth-tourism-brings-russian-baby-boom-miami-n836121

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And we all know why these facilities haven't been raided. SMH
 

intellectualuva

Well-Known Member
Not surprised. I'd do it. Lol. If I wanted kids, I would have a baby in a few different western countries.....especially for the healthcare..like Canada or one of those 1 year off family leave countries. Lol.

We all know the white Russians is who they want. They already think folks from the Carribbean and countries in Africa do this.
White folks lose their ish over the Asians though because that's who they consider the real competition for their kids. I read the comments on those articles.
 
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bajandoc86

Lipstick Lover
@RoundEyedGirl504 A LOT of Jamaicans do this. Not the whole paying an agency thousands of dollars bit. But they go to Canada and the US to have their children for the passport/citizenship. They usually have family or friends to stay with. I find a lot of middle to upper class Jamaicans do this and I was honestly was quite surprised when I discovered that when I moved here.

For me it seemed strange because even rich Bajans tend to have their kids at home, but we also aren’t traditionally big on emigration.
 

RoundEyedGirl504

Well-Known Member
@RoundEyedGirl504 A LOT of Jamaicans do this. Not the whole paying an agency thousands of dollars bit. But they go to Canada and the US to have their children for the passport/citizenship. They usually have family or friends to stay with. I find a lot of middle to upper class Jamaicans do this and I was honestly was quite surprised when I discovered that when I moved here.

For me it seemed strange because even rich Bajans tend to have their kids at home, but we also aren’t traditionally big on emigration.
Interesting I didn’t know this!
 

nubiangoddess3

Well-Known Member
No to all of it. Just NO! I do not like TRump, but if he puts a stop to this, then good.


I agree, America is still one of the few countries that allow citizenship just by being born in the country. France and Britain did away with the law years ago.

I know a lot of wealthy Africans who come to the USA just to give birth so their child gets US citizenship.
 
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intellectualuva

Well-Known Member
I agree, America is still one one of the few countries that allow citizenship just by being born in the country. France and Britain did away with the law years ago.

I know a lot of wealth Africans who come USA just to give birth so their child get US citizenship.

I didn't know this. I figured everyone could go have children in a different coiuntry and boom citizen. :lachen:

Now I wonder are we the only western country left that does this and when will white people decide to do away with it...if they can. Stuff like this makes me think all of this would be done with a Pence presidency. He's much more scary in his ability to do ish like this that Trump isn't.
 

Menina Preta

Well-Known Member
As long as this doesn’t take off with Africans or Carribeans I’m sure the blind eye will be turned.

Lol. It has already taken off...folks with means come and have their kids here.

Big in Houston among Nigerians. I have a cousin whose mom did that. She came to stay with our family up here till she gave birth. Lots of Caribbean and African people do this. I don't blame them. Pay back for centuries of imperialism...
 

nubiangoddess3

Well-Known Member
@intellectualuva
Birth tourism is travel to another country for the purpose of giving birth in that country. "Anchor baby" is another related term which can have negative connotations. The main reason for birth tourism is to obtain citizenship for the child in a country with birthright citizenship (jus soli). Other reasons include access to public schooling, healthcare, sponsorship for the parents in the future,[1]or even circumvention of China's two-child policy. Popular destinations include the United States and Canada. Another target for birth tourism is Hong Kong, where mainland Chinese citizens travel to give birth to gain right of abode for their children.

To discourage birth tourism, Australia, France, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom have modified their citizenship laws at different times, granting citizenship by birth only if at least one parent is a citizen of the country or a legal permanent resident who has lived in the country for several years. Germany has never granted unconditional birthright citizenship, but has traditionally used jus sanguinis, so, by giving up the requirement of at least one citizen parent, Germany has softened rather than tightened its citizenship laws; however, unlike their children born and grown up in Germany, non-EU- and non-Swiss-citizen parents born and grown up abroad usually cannot have dual citizenship themselves.

No European country presently grants unconditional birthright citizenship; however, most countries in the Americas, e.g., the United States, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil do so. In Africa, Lesotho and Tanzania grant unconditional birthright citizenship, and so do in the Asian-Pacific region Fiji, Pakistan, and Tuvalu.
 

GeorginaSparks

Well-Known Member
Lol. It has already taken off...folks with means come and have their kids here.

Big in Houston among Nigerians. I have a cousin whose mom did that. She came to stay with our family up here till she gave birth. Lots of Caribbean and African people do this. I don't blame them. Pay back for centuries of imperialism...
yes they're called anchor babies.
 

yamilee21

Well-Known Member
They'll crack down on non-white people doing this, but they will happily continue to allow Eastern Europeans to do so. However, another few years of Trump and his ilk, and the U.S. passport will soon become useless anyway. But most people who do this simply want the convenience of a U.S. passport, as opposed to the annoyance of applying for student visas once the kids are college-aged. These are often people who are wealthy in their home countries, come here regularly for shopping trips, buy apartments in luxury developments in NYC, Miami, etc. - in other words, pretty much the same people who would qualify for "merit-based" immigration... except they don't want to actually live here, because their standard of living would plummet.

Ending automatic birth citizenship is a slippery slope, and will most certainly lead to a large class of stateless people - something previous U.S. administrations criticized in many other countries.
 

Farida

Well-Known Member
This is huge in Irvine, CA. The women flock the malls in droves. They give birth at Hoag hospital, rack up bills in the $50k range, cut and run.

Yet the American embassies keep handing out tourist visas to Chinese like candy...and F1s even though 90% of Chinese F1s never go back home.

Meanwhile my African relatives are denied tourist visas for weddings, birth of their American-born grandchildren etc. The US immigration system favors China heavily.
 

Lady-RuffDiamond

Well-Known Member
As long as this doesn’t take off with Africans or Carribeans I’m sure the blind eye will be turned.
No it won't.

The Home Office in the UK have decided that they will charge £570 for any non citizen who had a child in the UK.

I was initially appalled when I heard this news, but then realised they were trying to get at the birther tourists.

However, in doing so they have got at immigrants who came her to start a new life, contribute to their new country and have their kids there. It's a kick in the teeth.

I'll post the link tomorrow.
 

nyeredzi

Well-Known Member
“They were funneled to several Orange County hospitals to deliver, but they didn't pay full price — approximately $25,000 — for medical services, officials said. Instead, they got reduced rates for the indigent, ranging from nothing to $4,000, the court papers say.”

Meanwhile, hospitals are complaining of lack of funds and throwing poor mentally unstable people out in the cold.
 

Farida

Well-Known Member
This has been going on for so many years in Irvine and the feds do a few raids here and there but largely turn a blind eye. These women swarm South Coast plaza which has high-end designer stores like they are on pregnancy field trips. The worst part is they can afford those hospital bulls yet they skip out.

There was a case a few years ago where the cops charged the ringleader with very petty offenses and her attorney pretty much helped her slip out of the feds’ hands. The monetary penalties were also pitiful considering how much money she had made from the racket.

Another recent one was uncovered after employees filed DOL complaints. They were expected to work endless hours in these maternity homes and then stiffed on the pay — FLSA overtime violations.

They blatantly and openly advertise on chineseinla which is their version of craigslist.

When POC of color (hispanic mainly) do this they are derided as filthy immigrants trying to have “anchor babies.” But the rich Chinese are just trying to make “better lives” and “ensure the future of the next generation.”
 

TCatt86

Well-Known Member
This is huge in Irvine, CA. The women flock the malls in droves. They give birth at Hoag hospital, rack up bills in the $50k range, cut and run.

Yet the American embassies keep handing out tourist visas to Chinese like candy...and F1s even though 90% of Chinese F1s never go back home.

Meanwhile my African relatives are denied tourist visas for weddings, birth of their American-born grandchildren etc. The US immigration system favors China heavily.
My Brother in Law's mother couldn't get a visa to come to he and my sister's wedding. She's lived in Senegal. We even tried to get then Senator William Jefferson to interecede. No dice. It was horrible.
 

biznesswmn

Well-Known Member
Why cant we put ourselves together and organize something to further our childrens lives? This is reminding me of the dr. claude anderson thread @Adel10 Did anybody see the videos?

He predicted that more people would be allowed immigrate to the US as a strategy to replace black americans as the working class
 
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