• 美国执法官员上周突查加州南部的37所“月子中心”，一时间令赴美生育的孕妇变得人心惶惶。记者走访调查，作为美国月子中心数量仅次于加州的纽约，目前多家月子中心仍在正常营业，但已变得十分谨慎小心。

    3日，美国移民海关执法局对南加州37所月子中心进行了大规模“扫荡”，调查重点是月子中心的负责人，搜集他们涉嫌签证和报税欺诈、协助骗取医疗福利等相关罪行的证据。

    Last week, U.S. law enforcement officials raided 37 "maternity centers" in Southern California, causing widespread panic among pregnant women traveling to the U.S. to give birth. A reporter's investigation revealed that in New York, which has the second-largest number of maternity centers after California, many centers are still operating normally, but have become extremely cautious.

    On March 3rd, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted a large-scale raid on 37 maternity centers in Southern California, focusing on the center operators and collecting evidence of suspected visa and tax fraud, as well as assisting in defrauding the healthcare system.

    当地一些月子中心为招揽生意，在为孕妇们办理赴美签证时，谎称这些孕妇来美目的是旅游，而非生产。据媒体公开报道，这些月子中心并不或极少缴纳营运费用，涉嫌偷税漏税。更有一些月子中心为来美生产孕妇办理低收入证明，以逃避美国高额的医疗费用。加州橙县一家医院两年间为当地月子中心高达400名孕妇提供了医疗服务，少收的医疗费用或达1000万美元。

    据称，美国政府执法部门列入黑名单的中国产妇“月子中心”，全美共400家左右，分布在洛杉矶、纽约、旧金山、西雅图、休斯敦、亚特兰大等城市，其中洛杉矶、纽约最多，其次为旧金山。这次联邦执法人员突击搜查的洛杉矶“月子中心”，约占洛杉矶月子中心的一半。

    加州月子中心遭当局突击扫荡后，一些人极为关心未来纽约等地月子中心的命运。中新社记者搜索纽约华人服务资讯网站，发现有近30家华人月子中心，大多数集中在纽约皇后区的华裔社区法拉盛，也有少数在邻近纽约的新泽西州等。

    中新社记者13日暗访了法拉盛的一家华人月子中心。这家月子中心的地点颇为隐蔽。虽然前一天约好了见面时间，但记者仍是在电话中一路询问，最终才找到了月子中心所在的一幢灰白色公寓楼。

    Some local maternity centers, in order to attract business, falsely claim that pregnant women are coming to the United States for tourism purposes, not to give birth, when applying for visas. According to media reports, these maternity centers pay little to no operating fees and are suspected of tax evasion. Some centers even provide low-income certificates for pregnant women giving birth in the US to avoid high medical costs. One hospital in Orange County, California, provided medical services to as many as 400 pregnant women from local maternity centers over two years, resulting in an estimated $10 million in unpaid medical bills.

    It is reported that the US government has blacklisted approximately 400 Chinese-run "maternity centers" across the country, located in cities such as Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Houston, and Atlanta, with the largest number in Los Angeles and New York, followed by San Francisco. The Los Angeles maternity centers raided by federal law enforcement officers represent about half of all maternity centers in Los Angeles.

    Following the raids on maternity centers in California, many are concerned about the fate of similar centers in New York and other areas. A reporter from China News Service searched New York's Chinese-language service websites and found nearly 30 Chinese-run maternity centers, most of which are concentrated in Flushing, a Chinese community in Queens, New York, with a few others in neighboring New Jersey.

    On the 13th, a China News Service reporter secretly visited a Chinese maternity center in Flushing. The location of this maternity center was quite discreet. Although an appointment had been made the day before, the reporter still had to ask for directions by phone before finally finding the gray and white apartment building where the maternity center was located.

    从外表看，这是一座非常普通的公寓楼，整个大楼的外面或大厅都没有月子中心的任何标识或招牌。进楼必须预约，按门铃或输入密码才能进入大楼内。而电梯也需要刷卡才能到达这幢建筑顶层的月子中心。

    该月子中心大部分房间集中在这家公寓楼的顶上两层。月子中心内设两间空间开阔的厨房和餐厅。记者在中午时分抵达时，一位阿姨正在做饭，主要是为待产孕妇提供一日三餐。另一间厨房有人在煲汤，主要是提供月子餐。

    月子中心一层设有婴儿房，记者数了一下，里面大约有12张婴儿床。当时里面有三名婴儿，两个婴儿在睡觉，另一个婴儿在换尿布。“这几个孩子比较大了，这两个已经满月了。”带记者参观的阿姨说。

    孕妇住宿的房间有单间、套间之分。小的房间仅容纳一张双人床，一张桌子。大的套间包含洗手间、客厅、沙发、电脑、电视等。楼下的一间公寓内还设有独立的厨房。

    月子中心的阿姨指着一个小房间说，“这个房间已经预定了，一个台湾的准妈妈明天住进来”。

    “加州气候好，有200多家月子中心，规模大，也比较杂，引起了当局的注意”，这家月子中心的老板说，“纽约月子中心规模小得多，数量也少得多。”

    “我们是正规经营，这些年我们也交了很多很多税。而且入境美国的孕妇才接，我们不管代办签证，我们是正规合法经营。”老板说道。同时，也颇显无奈地表示，“我们是以服务公司的名义注册的，与华人生活习惯不同，纽约没有月子中心这类营业执照”。

    From the outside, this is a very ordinary apartment building, with no signs or banners indicating a maternity center on the exterior or in the lobby. Entry requires an appointment; you must ring the doorbell or enter a code to get inside. The elevator also requires a key card to reach the maternity center on the top floor of the building.

    Most of the maternity center's rooms are located on the top two floors of this apartment building. The center has two spacious kitchens and dining areas. When the reporter arrived at noon, an auntie was cooking, mainly preparing three meals a day for expectant mothers. In the other kitchen, someone was making soup, primarily for postpartum meals.

    The maternity center has a nursery on the first floor. The reporter counted approximately 12 cribs. At the time, there were three babies inside; two were sleeping, and another was having its diaper changed. "These children are a bit older; these two are already a month old," said the auntie who was giving the reporter a tour.

    The rooms for expectant mothers vary from single rooms to suites. The smaller rooms only accommodate a double bed and a table. The larger suites include a bathroom, living room, sofa, computer, and television. One apartment downstairs also has a separate kitchen.

    The auntie pointed to a small room and said, "This room is already booked; an expectant mother from Taiwan will be moving in tomorrow."

    "California has a good climate and over 200 maternity centers, which are large and quite varied, attracting the attention of the authorities," said the owner of this maternity center. "New York's maternity centers are much smaller and fewer in number."

    "We operate legally, and we've paid a lot of taxes over the years. We only accept pregnant women who have legally entered the United States; we don't handle visa applications. We are a legitimate and legal business," the owner said. He also expressed his frustration, saying, "We are registered as a service company. Unlike Chinese customs, New York doesn't have a specific business license for maternity centers."

    纽约华裔社区法拉盛的另一家月子中心向记者提供了一份详细的价目表，但谨慎表示，不代理签证服务，孕妇到美国才接，但可以提前预定房间。

    这份价目表显示，一名孕妇，在该月子中心住4个月直至生产做完月子，需要支付从普通套餐大约12.5万人民币到豪华套餐的18.5万人民币不等，其中包括待产食宿，坐月子食宿，接送飞机，陪医院检查，代办婴儿出生纸、证明，孕妇生产的费用等。

    相关数据显示，每年外国人在美国生育的子女大约有30万人。据美国移民研究中心估计，其中每年约有4万名孕妇是“蓄意”到美国“生育旅游”生子的。

    美国宪法规定，只要在美国出生可以自动成为美国公民。近年来，为移民美国，大量外国公民前往美国生子，中国人是其中主要客户群体之一。据报道，近年到美国生子的中国孕妇人数暴涨。2008年大约有4200人。到2012年，大约已经达到1万人左右，而且人数还在增加。

    参与加州月子中心扫荡的美国国土安全调查局探员埃里克·布莱尔起草的调查报告近日首次曝光。调查结果表明，多数中国孕妇赴美产子是想移民，其中2/3的孕妇在中国拥有千万元人民币资产，这些钱足够支付他们在美生产和定居。

    一些人认为，美国政府的搜查和起诉，可能会动摇一些中国孕妇赴美产子的决心。纽约一家月子中心老板谨慎地对中新社记者表示，“照顾孕产妇是一件非常麻烦的事，以后的事说不准，政策也可能变化，今年先做到年底，看情况，随时可能不做。”

    Another maternity center in Flushing, a Chinese community in New York, provided a detailed price list to reporters, but cautiously stated that they do not handle visa services and only accept pregnant women upon their arrival in the United States, although room reservations can be made in advance.

    The price list shows that a pregnant woman staying at the center for four months until after childbirth and postpartum recovery would pay between approximately 125,000 RMB for a standard package and 185,000 RMB for a luxury package. This includes accommodation and meals before and after delivery, airport transfers, hospital visits, assistance with obtaining birth certificates and other documents, and the costs of childbirth.

    Relevant data shows that approximately 300,000 children are born to foreign nationals in the United States each year. According to estimates by the Center for Immigration Studies, about 40,000 of these pregnant women are "intentionally" traveling to the United States for "birth tourism."

    The U.S. Constitution stipulates that anyone born in the United States automatically becomes a U.S. citizen. In recent years, a large number of foreign citizens have traveled to the United States to give birth in order to immigrate, with Chinese citizens being one of the main client groups. Reports indicate a surge in the number of Chinese pregnant women giving birth in the United States in recent years. In 2008, there were approximately 4,200; by 2012, this number had reached around 10,000, and the number continues to increase.

    The investigation report drafted by Eric Blair, an agent of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations involved in the crackdown on maternity centers in California, was recently revealed for the first time. The investigation results show that most Chinese pregnant women go to the U.S. to give birth in order to immigrate, and two-thirds of these women possess tens of millions of RMB in assets in China, enough to cover the costs of childbirth and settlement in the U.S.

    Some believe that the U.S. government's searches and prosecutions may deter some Chinese pregnant women from going to the U.S. to give birth. The owner of a maternity center in New York cautiously told a reporter from China News Service, "Taking care of pregnant women and new mothers is a very troublesome job.  The future is uncertain, and policies may change. We'll continue until the end of the year and see how things go; we might stop at any time."