Doctor accused of birth-tourism scheme invokes Fifth before House Oversight

During a Tuesday hearing, Dr. Wladimir Lorentz, the founder and chief medical officer of Have My Baby in Miami, invoked his Fifth Amendment right to silence in response to every question from the House Oversight Committee. Lorentz had initially resisted a voluntary appearance, noting that his attorney warned against speaking to the committee while a criminal probe by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida is ongoing.

The committee, led by Rep. James Comer, had issued a subpoena earlier in the month, arguing that Lorentz’s insight into the firm’s marketing tactics and the birth-tourism market is crucial to the investigation. Testimony from Steven Camota highlighted that immigrants use U.S. births to obtain citizenship for their children, who can later sponsor relatives. The hearing underscores congressional scrutiny of businesses facilitating birth tourism and the potential legal ramifications for those involved.