While US President Donald Trump h revived suggestion of ending birthright citizenship, a Chinese national pleed guilty to federal charges of running ‘birth tourism’. Dongyuan Li, 41, mitted that she used to cater to Chinese nationals to get ir newborn US citizenship. Chinese nationals paid huge sums to Li, ranging from $40,000 to $80,000 for ‘birth tourism’ scheme. In her plea agreement, Li mitted that her company ‘You Win USA Vacation Services’ helped pregnant foreign nationals to travel to US to give birth.

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Steps to bypass immigration control

According to company's website, at least 500 Chinese birth tourism customers availed its services. Those customers were housed in 20 flat in Irvine, south of Los Angeles, said officials. Li h amassed $3 million through wire transfers from China. company instructed customers to follow a series of steps in order to conceal ir pregnancies and bypass US immigration control. steps included taking two flights, one from China to Hawaii and anor from Hawaii to Los Angeles. y were specifically told to list Trump International Hotel in Honolulu as ir destination during stay in Hawaii. 

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Facing imprisonment

Li faces imprisonment up to 15 years and she has agreed, as part of her plea deal, to forfeit, a residence worth more than US $500,000, more than US $850,000, and several Mercedes-Benz vehicles. She will be sentenced for charges on December 16. While practice of getting US citizenship for tourists’ children is legal, mor should not lie in visa application and should be rey to pay for medical care. 

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Trump's take on birthright citizenship

In August, Donald Trump said that he was looking into birthright citizenship ‘very seriously’, suggesting he would do away with it. Speaking to reporters, as he departed White House, Trump said birthright citizenship was “frankly ridiculous.” “We’re looking at it very, very seriously,” he said. Trump h called birthright citizenship as a “magnet for illegal immigration”. Trump h also claimed that he would end birthright citizenship with an executive order. 14th Amendment grants citizenship to children born in US irrespective of parent’s immigration status. 

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