California city orders birth tourism motel to shut down

ORANGE, Calif. – A California city has ordered the shutdown of a motel that caters to pregnant Chinese women who travel to the United States to deliver their babies.

The Orange County Register reported Thursday that council members in the city of Orange revoked the JR Motel’s conditional use permit.

Officials said the motel doesn’t take reservations from the public but rather hosts Chinese women who travel to the country to give birth to babies that automatically have American citizenship.

Officials said such long-term stays are not allowed in the area of the city of 140,000 people where it is located and that the motel has violated building and safety codes.

Attorney Tony Lu said only 10 of the motel’s 28 rooms are currently occupied and that the owner plans to sell it.