ARCADIA, Calif. (KTLA) — A motel in Arcadia is allegedly being used as a baby factory of sorts — housing expectant mothers from overseas to have their children here in the United States.

Sources and some motel guests say the Santa Anita Inn is being used as a maternity hotel.

They tell KTLA that a new wave of pregnant women, sometimes with their families in tow, arrives every three to four months from China.

Our sources say the women stay in the two back buildings and have their meals delivered, and that room 211 is used as a nursery, with nurses working there 24/7.

When asked why there are so many pregnant women at the motel, employees denied knowing about anything.

However, Arcadia Asst. City Manager Jason Kruckeberg says that the city is well-aware of what is going on there.

“A number of the rooms over there are being rented by pregnant individuals. They city has been aware of that for quite some time,” Kruckeberg told KTLA.

He said that his understanding is that the pregnant women come to the United States on a tourist visa.

“They typically will have a child here to get American citizenship, so that when the child goes back to whatever county, they have the ability to come back here to go to school, have all the rights of citizenship.”

Kruckeberg says that, while he understands that some people may see this as abusing the system, the practice is not actually illegal.

And while it may be legal, no one from the guests to the man delivering the food wanted to talk to our cameras.

According to Kruckeberg, there are many other hotels that house pregnant women in other parts of Arcadia as well as throughout the San Gabriel Valley.

–Mary Beth McDade, KTLA News