Federal agents on Tuesday several hotels in California suspected to be involved with "maternity tourism" that enables pregnant Chinese women to travel in the U.S. and have their infants born as U.S. citizens before returning back to China.

According to authorities, this "maternity tourism" has now become a multi-million dollar business.

Like Us on Facebook

The raids were prompted of hotels suspected to be involved with visa fraud, tax evasion and coddling of illegal immigrants. Accordingly, women are being coached on how to falsify their records for visa screening.

Around 40,000 of the 300,000 children who are born each year by foreign parents are products of "maternity tourism."

During the crackdown, an undercover agent posed as a pregnant woman in a birthing centre in Irvine which is suspected to be involved with the crime. She was assisted in obtaining a false proof of income and a college diploma.

The undercover agent was also told to enter the U.S. through popular tourist destinations such as Las Vegas and Hawaii, and make hotel and tour reservations.

In China, a so-called trainer, who is in-charge for the processing of the visa application, asked for full-length photos of the undercover agent that can serve as proofs that the agent is really pregnant.

Through this scheme, many pregnant Chinese women enter U.S. and, then, deliver their child as U.S. citizens before going back to China.

Accordingly, "maternity tourism" operators are being paid around US$15,000 to US$50,000 by their clients for this purpose.

Authorities said that these "maternity tourism" operators offer different packages to prospective clients. Packages include luxurious apartments with amenities, outings to posh restaurants, tour packages and Mandarin-speaking nannies.

"Birth tourism should be illegal," said U.S. Senator David Vitter, the author of a bill that prohibits a child born to foreigners to automatically become U.S. citizens except certain provisions are complied.

At present, babies who are born in the U.S. automatically become U.S. citizens.

Tagsmaternity tourism, U.S., california, pregnant women, U.S. citizenship, birth tourism