Texas hospital caught marketing birth packages to foreign mothers at border

A South Texas hospital is facing a state investigation after admitting it was behind a controversial advertising campaign promoting childbirth packages to foreign nationals near the U.S.-Mexico border.

The controversy erupted after photos of Spanish-language billboards surfaced online showing advertisements for maternity packages offered by Mission Regional Medical Center in Mission, Texas, just miles from the border. The ads promoted bundled childbirth services with prices starting at $3,950 for natural births and $5,525 for C-sections and directed prospective customers to a website called “Have My Baby in Texas.”

The billboards didn’t simply advertise maternity care. Critics noted they included the international dialing prefix “001,” a detail many saw as evidence that the campaign was specifically targeting customers outside the United States. The ads appeared in Spanish and were reportedly displayed in northern Mexico.

After the story exploded nationally, Mission Regional Medical Center acknowledged the advertisements were theirs but insisted they were never intended to encourage unlawful activity.

In a statement, the hospital said it had discontinued the marketing materials because of an “unintended misunderstanding” and pledged to cooperate with state officials.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott wasn’t buying the explanation.

“American citizenship is not for sale and Texas will not permit our healthcare system to be used as a magnet for birth tourism,” Abbott said while ordering the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to investigate whether the hospital violated state law, contractual obligations, or licensing requirements.