US woman Phoebe Dong jailed for more than 3 years over Chinese birth tourism scheme

Dong and husband Michael Liu, who was handed same sentence last month, helped pregnant Chinese women get US citizenship for their newborns

Reading Time:3 minutes

Birth tourism businesses have long operated in California and other states and have catered to couples not only from China, but Russia, Nigeria and elsewhere. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 5:07am, 28 Jan 2025Updated: 5:18am, 28 Jan 2025

A California woman was sentenced on Monday to more than three years in prison in a long-running case over a business that helped pregnant Chinese women travel to the United States to deliver babies who automatically became American citizens.

US District Judge R Gary Klausner gave Phoebe Dong a 41-month sentence. Dong and her husband were convicted in September of conspiracy and money laundering through their company, USA Happy Baby.

During the sentencing hearing in federal court in Los Angeles, Dong wiped away tears as she recalled growing up without siblings due to China’s strict “one-child” policy. She told the federal court in Los Angeles that the Chinese government forced her mother to have an abortion.

Federal prosecutors argued that Dong and her now-separated husband Michael Liu helped more than 100 pregnant Chinese women travel to the United States.

I don’t want to lose my kids. I hope you can give me fair judgment. I will take all my responsibility

Phoebe Dong

Authorities said the pair coached women on how to trick customs officials by flying into airports believed to be more lax while wearing loose-fitting clothing to hide their pregnancies.