Chinese Billionaire Linked to 100+ US-Born Children as Surrogacy Citizenship Fight Erupts

A wealthy Chinese video game executive has fathered more than 100 children through U.S. surrogates, according to a CBS News investigation, igniting fresh debate over the boundaries of American birthright citizenship and whether the Constitution effectively allows U.S. passports to be purchased through surrogacy contracts.

The report, which the Daily Wire also highlighted, identifies the father as Xu Bo, a Chinese national. Leaked documents reviewed by CBS connect him to over 100 children born on American soil. A former business partner told the network that Xu may have as many as 300 children.

Inside the Surrogacy Arrangement

One surrogate, a single mother identified only as “Judy,” told CBS she signed on after seeing an Instagram advertisement promising $120,000. She has a 7-year-old daughter and hoped the payment would let her buy a home and “build a better life” for her family.

After contracting with the surrogacy agency Patriot Conceptions, Judy said she discovered the intended father was a single man who had already retained a large number of surrogates. “I can’t be exact, but I know it was a large number,” she said. “That’s a lot of kids at one time.”

Judy also said she has asked to meet Xu at least five times and been refused each time. “It leaves me wondering: do I even have a right to know?” she asked.

Xu has not publicly addressed the specifics of the CBS report. But days after the story broke, he posted a photograph on social media showing more than 100 young children seated in rows. He later said in Chinese that he believes “more children bring more blessings” and expressed hope that his words and actions would serve “the long-term development of the Chinese nation.”

Birthright Citizenship Under the Microscope

Because the children were born in the United States, they are U.S. citizens. Under the Supreme Court’s June interpretation of the 14th Amendment, virtually every person born on American soil is a citizen regardless of the parents’ immigration status, with only narrow exceptions.

Critics argue that Xu’s arrangement amounts to purchasing citizenship by renting women’s bodies, and they say it exposes a gap in current law. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) weighed in on the reports, writing, “And some claim that this is what the 14th Amendment requires. Absurd!”

Florida lawmakers have already moved to restrict surrogacy arrangements involving citizens or residents of countries designated as “countries of concern,” a list that includes China.

The case has also revived a broader national conversation about surrogacy, an industry that operates with a patchwork of state laws and little federal oversight. Supporters of stricter rules say the Xu case illustrates how a well-funded foreign national can exploit those gaps to secure American citizenship for dozens of children. Defenders of birthright citizenship counter that the 14th Amendment’s guarantee is not conditional on the parents’ wealth or motives, and that any change would require a constitutional amendment or a reinterpretation by the courts.

A Growing Political Flashpoint

The story lands amid a wider election-year debate over immigration and citizenship. Former President Donald Trump has repeatedly promised to end birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants, a move most legal scholars say would require a constitutional amendment. The Xu case gives supporters of that effort a vivid example, while opponents warn that undermining the 14th Amendment would create a permanent underclass of stateless children.

For Judy, the surrogate, the controversy is personal. She told CBS she never imagined the arrangement would involve a man with a growing global family. “I can’t be exact, but I know it was a large number,” she said again, describing her unease. “That’s a lot of kids at one time.”

CBS News reported that the leaked documents are the basis for identifying Xu, and that he has not responded to detailed requests for comment. The Daily Wire has not independently verified the documents.

As the story spreads, it is likely to intensify calls in Congress and statehouses for new surrogacy regulations, particularly when foreign nationals are involved. Whether those efforts can pass constitutional muster — and whether they would apply retroactively to the children already born — remains an open question.

Source: www.dailywire.com — https://www.dailywire.com/news/chinese-billionaire-fathers-100-children-through-u-s-surrogates-causing-citizenship-crisis