The Department of Justice is directing federal prosecutors nationwide to intensify investigations into organized birth tourism operations, signaling a broader effort to crack down on schemes that officials say rely on immigration fraud and other federal crimes.
In a memo issued Tuesday, Deputy Attorney General Colin McDonald instructed U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to work closely with the Department of Homeland Security and treat birth tourism cases as a higher enforcement priority. According to the directive, prosecutors should focus not only on individuals who allegedly misuse the immigration system but also on the businesses and organizers that facilitate the practice.
Federal officials argue that many of these operations involve foreign nationals who misrepresent the purpose of their travel when applying for visas or when questioned by Customs and Border Protection officers upon arrival in the United States. By concealing pregnancies or falsely claiming they are traveling for tourism or business, authorities contend that participants are able to enter the country, give birth, and have children who acquire U.S. citizenship at birth under the Fourteenth Amendment.
Memorandum for DOJ Employees on Prosecution of Fraudulent Birth Tourism Schemes from Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald pic.twitter.com/hoilA5o2TE
— U.S. Department of Justice (@TheJusticeDept) June 30, 2026
The memo makes clear that prosecutors should look beyond visa fraud if the evidence supports additional criminal charges. McDonald directed federal attorneys to pursue offenses such as money laundering, identity theft, wire fraud, and health care fraud when applicable, reflecting what the DOJ describes as increasingly sophisticated criminal enterprises.
The directive highlights several previous prosecutions that officials cite as examples of the government’s enforcement efforts.
One of those cases involved Michael Wei Yueh Liu and Jing Dong, who were each sentenced to 41 months in federal prison after operating a California-based business known as “USA Happy Baby Inc.” Prosecutors alleged the company helped Chinese clients obtain visas under false pretenses, instructed them on how to avoid revealing their pregnancies to immigration officials, and arranged housing accommodations after they arrived in the United States.
Another case cited in the memo centered on Ibrahim Aksakal, who was sentenced in 2022 to 27 months in prison for operating a birth tourism business in New York that primarily served Turkish-speaking clients. According to prosecutors, Aksakal’s organization coached pregnant women on what to say during interviews with immigration authorities to reduce the likelihood of additional scrutiny.
In addition to his prison sentence, Aksakal was ordered to forfeit nearly $400,000 and pay more than $1 million in restitution, reflecting the financial scale of the operation described by prosecutors.
The DOJ also referenced the 2020 conviction of Chao “Edwin” Chen, who received approximately three years in prison for operating a company called “You Win USA.” Federal prosecutors alleged that Chen charged clients between $40,000 and $80,000 for services that included arranging travel and lodging while instructing customers on how to conceal the true purpose of their visits from U.S. officials.
McDonald’s memo states that the Department of Justice intends to continue targeting both participants and organizers involved in these operations. The directive emphasizes dismantling the business networks that advertise, coordinate, and profit from birth tourism while pursuing criminal charges supported by the evidence.
To support the initiative, the Executive Office for United States Attorneys will provide additional guidance and resources to federal prosecutors handling these investigations. The department says the goal is to improve coordination across jurisdictions and strengthen efforts to identify organized schemes that exploit the immigration system through fraudulent means.
The new directive signals that birth tourism enforcement will remain an area of focus for the DOJ, with prosecutors encouraged to use the full range of available federal statutes when investigating cases involving alleged fraud and related financial crimes.
