Immigrant birthing hotels in L.A. face crackdown

LOS ANGELES Los Angeles County is planning a crackdown on makeshift maternity wards where mothers from other countries stay while giving birth so their children will be U.S. citizens.

The county has received 60 complaints about such facilities in the past month, according to a report by the Planning Department submitted to the Board of Supervisors, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.

That compared to just 15 complaints in the previous five years. The surge might be due to publicity over the closure of a house in Chino Hills that authorities contended had been used to house as many as 30 Chinese women.

It isn't illegal for foreign citizens to give birth in the U.S., but authorities say the maternity tourism hotels frequently are remodeled single-family homes in areas that aren't zoned for hotels or boarding houses.

County Supervisor Don Knabe wants to develop a county law that would specifically outlaw such facilities.

"They're a moneymaking machine. They're totally unsafe," Knabe said. "It's so obvious that they jeopardize not only the health of the baby, but the mother as well."

The Planning Commission report said efforts were being made to crack down on the hotels for zoning, building and health code violations.

Pregnant women, many from Asia, can pay thousands of dollars to stay in the facilities, authorities said.

Officials who went to the Chino Hills home in November said the single-family home had been divided into 17 bedrooms and 17 bathrooms. Neighbors complained of a sewage spill from an overloaded septic tank.

The house was shut down after the city sued the owners.

Elsewhere, joint inspections have been staged by the planning, public works and child welfare departments, and cases have been referred to the state tax board, the report said.

Inspections can be difficult because people answering the door sometimes claim they are unable to speak English and won't allow inspectors to enter. The Planning Department will try to include Chinese-language translators on its inspection teams, the report said.

In addition, child welfare investigators will look for signs of child abuse and neglect, such as newborns crowded into makeshift nurseries, said Neil Zanville, a spokesman for the county Department of Children and Family Services.

"We'd not only ask about sleeping arrangements, we'd ask, has this baby been seen by a doctor? Has it had its shots?" Zanville said.

Last month, CBS Los Angeles reported on the house in Chino Hills that drew protests by residents:

[tsigili]

This is why the law must be changed, and citizenship should not automatically be granted by virtue of being born here, if the parents are not legal immigrants.

[VO142857]

No one suggests these expectant mothers are illegal immigrants. They arrive legally on tourist visa.

[sabniz]

exactly. it should be made illegal. citizenship shouldn't be granted to a newborn baby unless both parents are US citizens.

[pokey5735]

Immigration reform should remove birth right citizenship.
It is treasonous that lawmakers have no concern about what illegal immigration or birth right citizenship does to a country. They continue to sell our country for votes for power. How long can this invasion go on before our country is completely destroyed from within?

[kma smith]

unbelievable this is only now coming to light. it's giving me a
bad feeling of that old saying, 'coming full circle'....America
has come far but after reading such a story, makes me think we're
gradually going back to square one. America's not a good place
for these kinds of people...they need to go back to what they're used to and quit putting their lives and those of their children
in harms way!

[sabniz]

yes, this should be a part of immigration reform. no automatic birth citizenship should be granted to a baby of foreign parents.

[ttbird55]

This should be part of the "Immigration Reform" package that Congress is considering. It is absurd that you can come here illegally and have a child that is now a citizen.

[ammo17]

there is no way that california should be part of the united states.

[cab_351]

mathion,,if you left we would blockaide you,,nothing in nothing out,and i mean nothing,,you would not last long,without fuel,electricity,money,communications,

[TruthTalks]

Deport ALL ILLEGAL citizens and their kids. Do not rewards criminals and stop allowing kids to become American citizens if their born here to ILLEGALS.