Federal agents raided about 20 Southern California locations on Tuesday suspected of involvement in "maternity tourism" schemes offering travel and lodging services to pregnant foreign women seeking to give birth in the United States, U.S. immigration officials said.
Authorities say the so-called maternity hotels targeted in the sweep catered largely to women from China who paid $15,000 to $50,000, depending on services provided, in hopes of obtaining U.S. citizenship for their children.
The locations searched included apartment complexes and other sites in Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties that were suspected of housing foreign clients, according to a statement issued by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, or ICE.
No criminal arrests were anticipated from Tuesday's raids, which were carried out by federal agents and local law enforcement, the agency said.
The U.S. Constitution grants citizenship to any child born on U.S. soil, regardless of parentage, and immigration experts say there was nothing inherently illegal about women coming from abroad to give birth to children in the United States.
But investigators are seeking evidence related to such possible criminal offenses as visa and tax fraud, money laundering and conspiracy, immigration officials said.
More
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
5 comments:
If China is so great why do they want to come here? And that is the plan,have the young adult come then the family could follow.
Time to change that law. Enough with Anchor babies, no matter where they're from. If you're born here to parents who aren't citizens, you should not be a citizen. If your parents become citizens and you are underage, then you become one, too.
Someone correct me if I am wrong. As I understand it, only Canada and the USA allow citizenship for foreigners born in their country. In all other countries the child is the citizen of the parents.
Fruit from tree piosionous tree ship em back and change the law
This will make things so much easier for the children when they take over this country. They will already be legal.
Post a Comment