Overcrowded And Illegal “Maternity Hotels”

In the wake of a sewage spill caused by the unpermitted connection of 17 bathrooms to one septic system, the owner of a Chino Hills, Calif., mansion has agreed to correct a wide range of code violations and cease operation of a business in a residential zone. The case has drawn attention to so-called “birth tourism” operations, which cater to women who come to the U.S. on tourist visas to give birth. Although birth tourism itself is not illegal, critics charge that the practice has led to the creation of overcrowded and illegal “maternity hotels” in certain popular destinations.