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- Woman sentenced for helping pregnant Chinese women get to U.S. (newsbreak.com)
A California woman, Jing Dong, also known as Phoebe Dong, has been sentenced to 41 months in prison for her involvement in a “birth tourism” operation. She and her husband, Michael Wei Yueh Liu, who received the same sentence last year, were convicted of conspiracy and international money laundering.
The couple ran a business, USA Happy Baby Inc., that charged Chinese clients thousands of dollars to give birth in the U.S., thus securing American citizenship for their newborns. They operated a maternity house and rented apartments to pregnant women in Rancho Cucamonga, California.
The scheme involved advising clients on how to conceal their pregnancies from customs officials, including suggesting specific airports and attire. Clients typically returned to China shortly after giving birth.
This sentencing comes amidst renewed debate about birthright citizenship. While President Trump recently attempted to end the practice via executive order, a federal judge has temporarily blocked that order.
Dong and Liu were part of a larger 2019 indictment of 19 individuals connected to three separate birth tourism schemes. Authorities allege these schemes helped thousands give birth in the U.S., promoting America’s education system and “attractive nationality” as selling points. At the time of the indictments, Homeland Security Investigations emphasized that American laws and values are not for sale and that those exploiting the immigration system would face consequences.
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- Woman sentenced for helping pregnant Chinese women get to U.S. (newsbreak.com)