A Southern California couple, Michael Liu and Jing Dong, has been found guilty of running a sophisticated birth tourism business that helped pregnant women from China enter the United States to give birth, thereby securing U.S. citizenship for their children. The couple, residents of Rancho Cucamonga, faced multiple charges related to the scheme, which prosecutors say targeted pregnant Chinese women who were willing to pay tens of thousands of dollars for the opportunity to have their children born on American soil.
A federal jury delivered its verdict on Friday, convicting Liu and Dong on one count of conspiracy and ten counts of international money laundering. Prosecutors argued that the couple’s operation was designed to exploit the U.S. birthright citizenship law, which grants citizenship to any child born within the country’s borders, regardless of the parents’ nationality or immigration status.
Liu and Dong charged their clients exorbitant fees—sometimes upwards of $50,000—to help them travel to the United States under false pretenses. The women would enter the country on tourist visas, concealing their pregnancies from immigration authorities. Once in the U.S., Liu and Dong would arrange for them to stay in luxury accommodations, often in Southern California, until they gave birth. Afterward, the newborns would automatically receive U.S. citizenship, allowing families to gain long-term immigration benefits.
The case drew national attention as it highlighted a growing underground industry known as “birth tourism,” where individuals or companies profit by exploiting legal loopholes in U.S. immigration policy. The prosecution also focused on the couple’s elaborate international financial dealings, showing how Liu and Dong laundered millions of dollars through overseas accounts to conceal the profits of their illegal enterprise.
The jury found both Liu and Dong guilty on all counts, including ten separate charges related to money laundering. The couple now faces a maximum sentence of up to 205 years in federal prison, although their actual sentence will depend on several factors, including prior criminal history and the severity of the charges.
Federal prosecutors hailed the conviction as a significant victory in the fight against birth tourism, a practice that has been increasingly scrutinized by U.S. immigration authorities. “This verdict sends a clear message that exploiting U.S. immigration laws for profit will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada, who oversaw the case. “We are committed to holding accountable those who engage in fraudulent activities that undermine the integrity of our immigration system.”
Defense attorneys for Liu and Dong have maintained that their clients were simply operating a legitimate business that provided services to expectant mothers. They argue that no U.S. laws explicitly prohibit birth tourism and are expected to appeal the conviction, claiming that the prosecution unfairly targeted their clients for taking advantage of legal gray areas.
Birth tourism has become a contentious issue in recent years, particularly in Southern California, where federal authorities have been cracking down on similar operations. Companies like the one run by Liu and Dong market themselves to wealthy foreign clients, offering them a way to secure American citizenship for their children while circumventing the traditional immigration process.
While birthright citizenship is protected under the U.S. Constitution, the rise of birth tourism has raised questions about potential abuses of the system. In response, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has increased its enforcement efforts against birth tourism schemes, particularly those that involve large-scale fraud or illegal financial transactions.
As the case against Liu and Dong moves toward sentencing, legal experts believe that this high-profile verdict could serve as a precedent for future prosecutions. The couple’s conviction may deter other operators of birth tourism businesses, particularly those using similar international financial structures to evade detection.
The sentencing phase is scheduled for later this year, with prosecutors pushing for a severe sentence that reflects the scale and impact of the couple’s illegal operation.
