A California woman has been sentenced to roughly three years in prison for her role in operating a birth tourism scheme that coached pregnant Chinese women on how to deceive immigration officials and give birth in the United States.
Phoebe Dong was sentenced to 41 months in federal court in Los Angeles after being convicted in September, along with her husband, Michael Liu, on one count of conspiracy and 10 counts of money laundering.
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The couple ran a business called USA Happy Baby, which prosecutors said helped over 100 pregnant Chinese women travel to the U.S. between 2012 and 2015. They charged clients tens of thousands of dollars for advice on how to enter the country, mislead immigration officials about their travel intentions, and give birth on American soil, thus securing U.S. citizenship for their children.
“For tens of thousands of dollars each, defendant helped her numerous customers deceive U.S. authorities and buy U.S. citizenship for their children,” prosecutors stated in court filings.
USA Happy Baby provided clients with guidance on visa interviews, including tips on what to wear (loose-fitting clothing) and how to act (not “waddle like a penguin”) to gain entry into the U.S.
While visiting the U.S. while pregnant is not illegal, lying to immigration officials about the purpose of the trip is a federal offense. Authorities have uncovered numerous other birth tourism schemes in the U.S. over the years.
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