The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee’s Task Force on Defending Constitutional Rights and Exposing Institutional Abuses held a hearing on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, to investigate birth tourism. The hearing examined firms that market maternity services to foreign expectant mothers traveling to the U.S. to give birth, which allows their children to obtain birthright citizenship under the U.S. Constitution.
The investigation into these businesses began in May 2026, when the committee requested documents regarding marketing, service agreements, and medical tourism packages. Task Force Chairman Brandon Gill (R-TX) stated that the inquiry aims to address concerns that these schemes undermine U.S. sovereignty and national security, specifically citing travelers from China and Russia. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) has stated that birthright citizenship is the law of the land, while former President Donald Trump has proposed an executive order to end the policy.
During the proceedings, Dr. Wladimir Lorentz, the founder of Miami Medical Concierge Services (doing business as Have My Baby in Miami), invoked his Fifth Amendment rights and refused to answer questions. Dr. Lorentz had been subpoenaed on August 26, 2026, to appear after receiving an inquiry letter in May. Chairman Gill dismissed him from the hearing following his refusal to testify.
The committee also invited Dr. Julio César Novoa of International Maternity Services and heard from Dr. Steven A. Camarota of the Center for Immigration Studies as witnesses.
For these individuals, a change in policy could involve the loss of U.S. citizenship for their children, which currently grants them a U.S. passport and the right to live and work in the country. The investigation also signals potential legislative action that could alter immigration enforcement and national security protocols. Chairman Gill proposed that Congress act to shut down these schemes.
The proceedings address established interpretations of the 14th Amendment and the regulatory environment for the medical concierge industry. The effects could influence broader immigration policy debates, including the proposed executive orders mentioned by Donald Trump. The investigation into the documents requested from these firms remains ongoing.