US Prosecutors Say Chinese National Ran Birth Tourism Scheme

Prosecutors say a Chinese woman living in California assisted wealthy Chinese nationals in getting into the U.S. to give birth to their children so they would be born American citizens, Fox News reports.

Dongyuan Li, 41, pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit immigration fraud and visa fraud during a hearing at a U.S. District Court in Santa Ana, California. She ran the scheme out of her home in Orange County, California, from 2013 until March 2015.

Li touted the name of her business in China as, "You Win USA Vacation Services Corp," and her company's website advertised it had catered to more than 500 customers.

Her promotions lured women by promising the U.S. was "the most attractive nationality."

Pregnant mothers paid between $40,000 and $80,000 each to come to California, according to a January 2019 federal grand jury indictment against Li. They were housed in apartments in Irvine, California. Li made millions over the course of two years. Her husband, Chao Chen, is also facing charges in his role in operating the business.

• Children of US Service Members Born Outside US, No Longer Granted Automatic Citizenship
• Chelsea Clinton Gives Birth to Third Child