Zhang operated a surrogacy agency called Mark Surrogacy from their mansion. The agency purportedly marketed itself as an institution assisting American and international couples struggling to conceive through surrogacy. However, investigations revealed a startling truth: The only couple the agency served was Zhang and Xuan themselves. They are the biological parents of 21 children born through surrogacy. Of these children, fifteen lived with them in the mansion under the care of a few nannies, while friends and family supposedly looked after the other six in different locations. //

It is crucial to highlight that Xuan must be a member of the CCP to serve on the People’s Congress. U.S. immigration law prohibits immigrants with “membership in or affiliation with the Communist or any other totalitarian party” from becoming naturalized citizens. Thus, it is curious how Xuan, a high-ranking CCP member linked to genocide in Xinjiang, was able to obtain U.S. citizenship. //

In addition to concerns about immigration, Xuan and Zhang’s case highlights the ethical, legal, and moral dilemmas surrounding the commercial surrogacy industry, which has turned a deeply human experience into a commodity. As one research paper concludes, “Surrogacy degrades a pregnancy to a service and a baby to a product.” //

Surrogacy is illegal in many countries, including China, but the United States has no federal restrictions. Commercial surrogacy is legal in most states, including California. This legal landscape, along with birthright citizenship, makes the U.S. a popular destination for international surrogacy, attracting foreign couples who seek American women to help fulfill their dreams of parenthood. //

Those who advocate for immoral policies such as unchecked immigration or the commodification of women’s bodies should understand that horrifying stories like this are what happens when we take these policies to their logical end, and that cases like Zhang and Xuan will only become more common.