Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced an investigation into a hospital that allegedly advertised birth tourism packages in Mexico.
This comes after a user on social media shared photos of billboards in Mexico advertising birth packages to foreigners. Fox News and other outlets reported on the ads on Tuesday and how the hospital confirmed that it had paid for the advertisements.
Texas officials are investigating whether the hospital promoted birth tourism, a practice in which pregnant women from other nations come to the U.S. to give birth, making their children American citizens.
The governor directed the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to look into the hospital. The commission will determine whether there are any violations of state law or contractual obligations.
NEW: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is launching an investigation into a Texas hospital admitting it placed birth tourism billboards in Mexico advertising "Birth Packages in South Texas."
— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 8, 2026
Mission Regional Medical Center confirmed to Fox News that it was responsible for the advertising… pic.twitter.com/YP4itV14fJ
Abbott wrote in a letter that any findings of wrongdoing should be referred for civil or criminal action. “Birth tourism is an illegal practice that exploits the extraordinary hospitality that the United States and Texas offer to millions of foreign travelers each year,” he argued.
The governor asserted, “American citizenship is not for sale and Texas will not permit our healthcare system to be used as a magnet for birth tourism.”
The billboard campaign promoted “Birth Packages in South Texas” and listed prices starting at $3,950 for a natural birth and $5,525 for a C-section. They directed people to the website havemybabyinTEXAS.com, which is now defunct.
The campaign started in 2021, but it is not clear exactly when the billboards were created. The hospital removed the billboards and the website after Fox News reported on it.
Images shared on social media showed two similar billboards located near a U.S.-Mexico border crossing, about five miles from the hospital in the Rio Grande Valley. The signs feature an image of a pregnant woman with her hands placed on her belly.
The text appears in English and Spanish. One version read, “PAQUETES DE PARTO EN EL SUR DE TEXAS” above the prices in dollars. The English side reads, “BIRTH PACKAGES IN SOUTH TEXAS”
This story fits into the larger national debate over birth tourism and birthright citizenship. Critics, including President Donald Trump, argue that it exploits the immigration system, strains hospital resources, and could lead to future chain migration or benefit claims.
The Supreme Court recently struck down President Donald Trump’s executive order limiting citizenship for the children of foreigners who are in the country illegally or only temporarily.