The practice of hiring surrogates in the US by wealthy Chinese to give birth to children has been going on for years, and its scale is so large that it has spawned a dynamically developing “mini-industry” – describes the Wall Street Journal. It includes agencies dealing with surrogacy, law firms, in vitro clinics, nanny services, and even people who collect newborns from hospitals.
What kind of children are born by surrogates in the USA?
How much does it cost to hire a surrogate in the USA?
Who is one of the clients of the surrogacy agency?
What did Donald Trump do regarding the surrogacy practice?
“Thanks to this, parents can send their genetic material abroad and bring the child back, which costs up to $200,000 per child,” I describe to journalists.
The market for American surrogates is booming. The customers are Chinese
The market is expected to develop so well that it has attracted influential investors, including controversial right-wing billionaire Peter Thiel, who is said to be supporting a network of in vitro clinics in Southeast Asia, and most recently in Los Angeles.
Journalists describe, among others: the case of computer game creator Xu Bo, who, during a virtual court appearance in 2023 regarding an application for a surrogacy permit, allegedly stated that he wanted to have 20 children born in this way. His website states that Xu is the father of over 100 American children born through surrogates in the USA. Although his 2023 application was rejected by the court, the newspaper notes that this is rare.
They don't even have to come to the US
According to “WSJ”, Xu's case is not isolated. Nathan Zhang, founder and president of IVF USA, a chain of infertility clinics in the US and Mexico that serves wealthy Chinese, described in an interview with journalists that previously his clientele consisted mainly of parents trying to bypass China's one-child policy (abolished in 2015), but his new clients are following Elon Musk's example.
— A growing number of “crazy rich” clients are outsourcing their pregnancies to dozens or even hundreds of surrogates in the U.S. with the goal of “creating an unstoppable family dynasty,” said Nathan Zhang. He mentioned the case of one businessman who wanted to have 200 children this way. Ultimately, the owner of the clinic refused.
However, another agency owner in California told the newspaper that he helped fulfill the order of a Chinese man who wanted to father 100 children. According to “WSJ”, some of the agency's clients do not even have to come to the United States.
Donald Trump is trying to fight the practice. His regulation was blocked by the court
The laws of most states do not prohibit this practice. The 14th Amendment to the Constitution guarantees U.S. citizenship for almost every child born in the United States. US President Donald Trump, on the first day of his second term, issued an order narrowing this right, but its action was suspended until the Supreme Court considers it. However, it is unclear whether, even if the legality of the decree were confirmed, it would apply to surrogate children.
Already in 2020, the Donald Trump administration issued instructions ordering the refusal to issue visas to women suspected of intending to travel to give birth to a child in the USA. It was a reaction to a popular practice, among others. among Russian women. According to “WSJ”, investigators from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security interviewed some of the surrogates involved in the procedure, but it is unclear what stage the investigation is at.
