Anchor Babies

I think that a woman who risks border crossings and being separated from her babies forever to give that baby a chance to be an American gives that child an incredible gift. And I firmly believe that (as long as they are not violent criminals) that anyone who wants to come here, work hard and study for the test should be able to be an American also. After all - that's how the rest of us got here (indigenous people excepted, but we haven't done to well by you either). So - I guess I believe for a path to citizenship for all who want it - whether or not they have children.

When there were no limits on immigration? When was that? We limited immigrants from Italy, Ireland. We sent boatloads of people fleeing the Nazis back to their deaths. Coming here legally in the past? Just lucky timing.

I think that people born here have no idea what it's like to yearn for a better life for their children--not to the extent that Mexicans understand it.

Again, I think that use of any derogatory term is rarely a good thing, PS.

These are not cattle we're talking about here, they're human beings.
What an odd question.

Interesting stat @ Reuters:
The Obama administration had deported about 1.06 million as of Sept. 12, against 1.57 million in Bush's TWO FULL presidential terms.

Im lol-ing at the term. Ive always understood it to be politically incorrect. But no i dont think that having a baby here should qualify the baby for automatic citizenship, i do think the process of legal work visas and a process for a green card should be offered, but there should be some effort other than..........eh "Dropping anchor"?

All I can say is that my white, Iowa born mother had four welfare kids, no support from any of her baby daddies, no prenatal care, just showed up at the hospital in labor every time. To this day she is one of the biggest, most racist rednecks I know.
My own Mexican housekeeper is one of the sweetest, most kind and HARD WORKING people I have ever met, not to mention a devoted and deeply spiritual mother and daughter. When I advertised looking for a housekeeper about four years ago (paying four times above minimum wage) I did not get a single US citizen applying for the job, only *questionable* Mexicans. I wonder why that is???
People need to stop blaming the immigrants for their own lack of employment unless they themselves are actually willing to do the work :(

NO they shouldn't be allowed citizenship just because they were born here.

of course the baby should go with it's mother

It pisses me off. They get benefits I could never get, and I was born to LEGAL citizens. I don't think they should get citizenship by being birthed here. Period. Unless the parent has political asylum, their kid should be an illegal alien. I have ZERO sympathy for someone coming here illegally. They have a hard life, they have this, they have that...blah blah blah. It's not OUR problem.I would have NO rights going to their country illegally. I'm tired of our country being so weak. We are stretched to the max, and immigration is a massive part of that. I live in an area where illegals are ruining the local government, and I'm sick of it. Come here legally, or be deported. You and your baby. No sympathy. I have sympathy for people who don't break the law to get here. And I'm sick of the "we all immigrated." NO we didn't. I was born here. My parents were born here. My parents parents and their parents, and so on. My ancestors came here LEGALLY, when there were no limitations on immigration, and our country needed growth. My ancestors didn't force Native American off their lands. We came here and settled. No one in my family is "illegal." People should not have rights now, by showing up. We can't have that anymore. We don't need it.

Our country may be "better" for them, but they aren't making it better for me. A LEGAL citizen. They are making it worse. MY rights should always trump theirs. Right now, they do not. That's so backwards.

PS.
I'm not suggesting separating a baby from their mother. I'm suggesting a baby should not be automatically a citizen, therefore being deported WITH their mother. I don't find anchor baby offensive. They are a baby, who the mother is using as an anchor. It's pretty correct and literal. To add. I actually help a lot of people, thank you. I often help the poor around here. I often donate to impoverished countries. I often give money that I have very little of, time that I have very little of, resources that I have very little of. What I will not give, is anything to a person breaking the law, and ruining the system in the country I legally live in. Whether they are a legal citizen, or not. I will not be OK with someone breaking through the borders of this country illegally, and expecting my tax dollars to pay for their children. Just like I am not OK with people who live off welfare. Plenty of In-country systems need to be reformed, from people taking advantage and allowing it to happen. Immigration...people taking advantage and this country allowing it to happen...also needs to be reformed.

I believe that if you are born on American Soil then you are an American. In my experience people from other countries have something that most Americans lack...A work ethic. We take everything for granted. Why is this such a huge issue, because Americans are to lazy to fix the problems in our own country and instead look for a scape goat. I do not agree that they should break the law and enter into this country illegally. But I sympathize with their desperation for a better life. I do not care where a person comes from or how many children they have as long as they contribute to society.

Well damn that silly constitution. Seriously the citizenship by birth on soil is protected by the constitution.

What I didn't add before due to too much going on is pointing out what our lives would be like if we did not have citizen by blood or soil in the constitution. None of us would automatically become citizens. This should never be under the control of the whims of our government. That is why it is a part of the constitution. It is something the framers considered the most basic of human rights.

I am actually amazed at who the people are who think we should give up this right. They would be the first people shocked at what the government used their new power to do. It would look much like the current immigration policies. I know no doctor who has trouble immigrating to the country. Actually most post graduate holders have some trouble but not that much. Ahh but you hold no education, no viable skills, forget it, you jump through hoops. So we would want this for ourselves? Well the first to lose citizenship through birth would be the poor, after all that would save the government money by not having to support their children since they are not citizens. Then how about the uneducated, low intellect? Do you see why the framers thought this was a bad idea so they sealed it in the Constitution?

I don't know about the rest of you but I would much rather have an intimate relationship with the TSA before I would give up my descendants rights to US citizenship.

Wow I must say, for the most part I am impressed by the responses, good to see well-informed opinions. My take on this? Well I come from California, the land of heated immigration issues. While not exactly the same as anchor babies, I have been a huge supporter of the DREAM Act for quite some time. In college, I dated a man for about 2 1/2 years who was, indeed living in the country illegally. Although, his situation is slightly different, where he was not born in America, he was born in Mexico. His family moved here for a better life when he was 8 years old. He has now lived in the US for 15 years! Almost twice as long as he lived in Mexico. This is his home. He is a good person (we are still good friends) and works hard and is a full time college student pursuing a teaching degree. He is a Christian and volunteers in church, and just an all around nice guy. His parents brought him here when he was 8 years old. Do you think he had any say in the matter? If you were 8 and your family suddenly moved to Canada for example, would you have no choice but to go with them, right? So now he is being punished for his parents actions and should he be forced to go back to Mexico now after all these years, after making good contributions to society, after living most of his life in the US? Seems like a ridiculous thing to me. His life is here. Not in Mexico. The color of his skin doesn't define him.
Anyways, Im SO SO SO glad that the DREAM Act finally passed so that hard working young adults can be given a fair chance in this society and not have to face consequences for their parents actions. For those who don't know exactly what the Act is, it basically grants high school graduates "residency" status in the road towards actual citizenship on the conditions that they either recieve a college degree of put in 2 years of military service. Seems like a sweet deal to me. America gets their troops and future teachers, doctors, lawyers, business people, ect. and they get to continue their lives in peace :)

My ggggggg-grandfather was one of the founding "pobladeros" of the city of Los Angeles. He and his family trekked from Sinaloa, Mexico through the hot desert to come to nothing to found and build the new town. I know they didn't have green cards, lol, they were sent by order of the king of Spain ; )

Eva Longoria is involved in immigration reform, and told a story on the Letterman show several years back. It seems that she and her family, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc., lived across the border in Mexico. One morning they woke up and the border lines had been changed, she and her immediate family now lived in the US, with all the rights and responsibilities that accompany that, through absolutely no effort of their own. The rest of the family still lived in Mexico, and couldn't freely cross the border back and forth as her family could, and she said it felt strange.

Not every mother from Mexico who delivers in the US does it on purpose, to sneakily have a baby on American soil. A young man i know was to be born in Calexico in Baja California, (Mexico) but his mother was having complications during delivery and they rushed her to a hospital in San Diego, CA. He was born with mild cerebral palsy, but left in Calexico would more than likely have died.

What do these three stories have in common? They demonstrate that each and every situation is unique. Do I believe that each and every child who is born to a woman who crossed the border illegally (the women themselves are not illegal, the act they commit is) should be granted automatic citizenship? Yes, I do. Do I think if the mother is deported the baby should accompany her to Mexico or whatever other country she is from? If that country and where she will live offers a safe environment, yes, I do. Otherwise i don't believe the mother or baby should be sent back.

Personally, I have to say that as a mother I would be tempted to give birth to my child in the US as opposed to Mexico. That I would come to the US illegally to do so, no. How sad that some mothers are brought to the point that they will break the law to try and ensure a better life for their child...I cannot imagine being in that situation.

God bless ALL mamas and their babies
⊱✿ ✿⊰

In response to your SWH as to why we would assume that you meant Mexicans when you said "illegals", MY reasons are that
1) typically when someone speaks of "illegals" (what is that, anyway? The act is illegal, the person is NOT illegal, they are in the US illegally), they are speaking of Mexicans crossing "our" borders. Most people cannot believe that anyone from another country, unless it is a Spanish-speaking one, would dare to commit the crime of entering the US illegally. Who would consider a blond-haired, blue-eyed Swede an "illegal" as opposed to a Mexican? (Though this could very well be.)
2) the majority of people entering the US illegally are Mexicans, it's a fact that was more than likely mentioned in the debate, or should have been.
3) You are in Houston so the majority of illegal aliens you'd encounter would likely be from Mexico, or so I assumed, and that you would be most concerned about what affected you personally.

These are the reasons why I geared my answer towards Mexicans.

Yes! The constitution needs to add some language to the 14th amendment clarifying and limiting who is an American citizen. This is what's draining our country not the top 1% of the wealthy population. Also, giving illegal immigrants instate rights for college tuition is wrong on so many levels. What about our own citizens??? I think everyone has a right to want a better life and to work hard for it but not at my expense.

I just have to say how appalled I am at these responses.
Am I dumb, but what is the "HUGE problem" with immigrants? What are they taking away from us? They wouldn't come if there wasn't a role for them (case in point: immigration from Mexico is way down with the economy being down).
To where would you deport a child who has never lived anywhere else? Obviously I don't like the idea of "anchor babies", but I don't think it's as big of an issue as people are making it out to be- it's more of a general immigration issue.
Also, a poster used China as an example of how to better handle pregnant women and immigration. Are you really suggesting we look to CHINA for guidance on family planning and caring for our citizens, seriously, people?
Yes, I do think we should go back to our constitution- to remember what this country is all about!
ETA:
okay 2 more things:
1. They CAN'T do it legally. They would. Our system is broken.
2. As for the Mexico issue, this is our issue. I liked some one's point about what would you do if you lived there, with all the current dangers. I just wanted to add: how did the drug cartels get so powerful? Where do they sell their drugs and get their $ from ? The U.S. Where do both sides of the fight gets their weapons from? The U.S. We created this problem. And Mexico's 3 top sources of income are: 1) manufacturing (goods sold to the U.S.), 2) $ citizens mail home (from the U.S.), and 3) tourism (Americans). They have built their economy around American desires; we are very connected.

Definitely yes. The mother broke the law so everything she did/created while here, should be rescinded with her. They can both return after applying for legal citizen ship.

It's accepted that a baby of an illegal alien born on US soil become a citizen but that might legally be an erroneous assumption.

In the case of United States v. Wong Kim Ark, 169 U.S. 649 (1898), the Supreme Court ruled that a person becomes a citizen of the United States at the time of birth, by virtue of the first clause of the 14th Amendment, if that person:

* Is born in the United States
* Has parents that are subjects of a foreign power, but not in any diplomatic or official capacity of that foreign power
* Has parents that have permanent domicile and residence in the United States
* Has parents that are in the United States for business

The Supreme Court has never explicitly ruled on whether children born in the United States to illegal immigrant parents are entitled to birthright citizenship via the 14th Amendment, although it has generally been assumed that they are.

If courts argue that illegal aliens are not living here permanently and/or are not here for business (it's illegal for them to work here), then citizenship would/should not be automatically be granted to their offspring.

Most citizens are born citizens because one or more of their parents are citizens (whether they were born on US soil or not).

By all means, keep the family together and deport them as a group.

As white people who came here and slaughtered the American Indians and several species of animals just because we felt like it, and brought in slaves by force, I get a little ill watching certain entitled types-many who don't work hard at anything themselves but were born with everything right in place because of their crooked ancestors before them- railing against immigrants. Often they and their children would never take the jobs the immigrants take, and many of them are hiring needy cheap labor without checking paperwork to save a few bucks. There are plenty of other costly things draining our tax dollars, but they have a big old dinosaur bone to pick with immigrants and making sure there is only one "national language".

OK, sorry to get off track. I've lived in heavy gang areas of Los Angeles and I know there is a problem. But things are not black and white. I've also worked side by side in the garment industry with some of the greatest humans in the world in the same city, and they are immigrants.

People need to target our government for orderly process, not go around hating human beings. This country would be nothing without immigrants of all kinds, and many of these anchor babies grow to be extremely valuable assets to our country.

I think if you are born here, you should be an American citizen. I think if your parents are deported, most likely it's best to be with your parents. In my experience, it's a bit of a myth that "sneaky foreigners" tiptoe over the border, have a baby and the baby has all the rights under the sun. It is more complicated than that.

The illegal immigrants are here because our system enables it through the greed of our employers and the laziness of our citizens, and because they are seeking a better life, not ONLY because they are shifty and evil.

Why don't we just sell the babies to make up for money their grubbing parents have taken from us by being in our country? I mean, a healthy infant runs 20k-50k on the adoption market, and will often fetch as much as twice that if they have blue/green/light hazel eyes or light hair.

You realize we're talking about separating BABIES FROM THEIR MOTHERS.

Anyone who is for this gets to take their first born and leave them on the other side of the country never to be seen again. Seriously. YOUR kid gets taken from you forever. To be sold or given away at some stranger's leisure.

Is anyone here willing to do that?

I think that as the mother of an American citizen, pathways should be in place to allow the mother to become legal without all the expense that normally keeps people from attaining the goal. I think it should be made cheaper and easier for anyone who wants to become a citizen to do so, and I think any child that is raised in our school system, whether born here or not, should be allowed citizenship. That used to be what our nation was all about,send us your poor, your hungry, ect, but not any more. Now we are full of selfish greedy people who will only do for themselves, it is sad really.

yes i do think they should be deported.

I think that if the mother is here illegally, then the baby should not get automatic citizenship. However, until they change the Constitution, that is the way it is. If the mother gets deported, the baby should go too, until the child is old enough to become emancipated, if they so choose.

I am very fed up with those here illegally as the overwhelming problem we have has made it extremely difficult for others to travel here legally. Such as my son's father who can't even get a tourist visa because they assume he will stay over here instead of returning to his home country. He is Indian. This is a hot button issue for me.

Sigh.

I have also read articles about Chinese women coming here only to have their babies, grant them citizenship and then return to China, with zero interest in establishing themselves here. It's only for things like college for their children.

I think they play the system, just like the people with the fake marriages to a US citizen or those that come over on a student visa and never leave. I also think that those willing to come here illegally and have their children here are risking things I don't understand, perhaps because I don't come from anywhere. I'm already here.

I remember my friend in school whose family came from Afghanistan and he and his family became citizens when he was 13. I have a friend who is here legally from the Ukraine and she is unable to get her citizenship for various reasons, including financial, but she hasn't skirted the system. She came over with her mother when her mom married an American.

I think that we as feeling human beings are put in a tough spot. How can we look at an infant and consider tearing that child from his parents? Families are not black and white. What about the gay man who is his partner's primary caregiver who is being told he's going to have to leave? He apparently qualifies under different allowances, but because his marriage is not federally recognized, it doesn't count.

Etc. Etc.

There is no easy answer. It's all shades of gray. It's easy to lay down a line in the sand, but harder to look a child in the eye and enforce it.

I am against automatic citizenship for people that are here illegally. I also heard a report on NPR a few months ago about Chinese mothers that hire someone in America to arrange their visas, living arrangements, etc. so that they are set up here comfortably right before their birth. They give birth here and their baby now has a dual citizenship. Then they move back to China with baby, only to have child grow up and return to America as a "citizen" so that they will pay less in university fees (international students pay the most). They end up saving tens of thousands of dollars.

This just galls me and I feel it's also gaming the system. Granted, they are here legally while giving birth, but is this really "right?"

Added: I'd like to clarify that I'm against allowing illegal immigrants to have children here that automatically become U.S. citizens. However, I am for former President Bush's and now President Obama's idea to help those who are here illegally NOW become citizens, if they have no criminal record other than being here illegally. Allow them to be fined, they must take citizenry classes and MUST learn English. They are here, some of them have spent decades here, and they have roots and families established. I totally get that and I do sympathize. But, in general, I can't support support future illegals having kids here just so they can stay. Do it legally, like so many immigrants before them have done.

Who said committing a crime doesn't pay? Apparently it does but it is not right in my opinion. The answer is secure the border then this problem goes away.

I am an American citizen and I "yearn" for a better life. I am all for people coming to America to realize their dreams. All of our ancestors did the same. Big "but" here - they contributed to the country's coffers(taxes & SS) and incorporated their cultures and traditions into the whole. They were proud to be Americans. So fiercely so, they fought in the Civil War, WWI and WWII. IF they want to live here then they must pay their fair share to the Fed. All of us are Mutts. This country is a melting pot of people wanting a better life. I do not think this issue should be so politicized (sp), it is quite simple. I am a lady that works a blue collar 40 every week. I wish everyone would just pull their weight. That is what it is really about. cb

Can we change the "rules" to -- you cannot *draw/benefit* from the system if you have not paid INTO the system - no free rides. Make sense?

I know of SEVERAL non-citizens (all from Mexico or Central American Countries) that are here legally doing what is required to get citizenship. They tell me about what is required, and they do it all, legally. I respect that. We are a nation with great diversity, and it is wonderful. We HAVE NOT closed our gates to new immigrants. Knowing that personally, it REALLY makes it hard for me to feel for those that are here illegally and having anchor babies...

I think there's TOO much emphasis in being sympathetic for those that are here illegally... when we DO have a process of legalization, and there ARE those that work hard at getting it (it is not the easiest process).

I know the economy is THE issue right now, but illegal immigration incline seems to go on the same curve as unemployment. I'm very well- aware that there are other issues facing our declining economy, and our increasing debt, but those illegal immigrants are taking money directly from the American people, their jobs.

Its all humanitarian to think: "everyone that wants to be here, should be!" ...but that just ALWAYS makes me picture the population from all other countries becoming our collective population. that is one CROWDED country! We should ALWAYS have a "cap" on how many people per year are allowed (kep in mind, our budget, although needing to be "fixed", is designed for the count of American citizens, because these illegals are undocumented... THAT is a problem!), and there SHOULD be a process to getting citizenship, and we DO need to secure all borders, of course... but the system does need some tweaking, for sure.

Becoming a US citizen to both illegal parents in the US, IS a problem. Illegals should be deported and encouraged to go through the process. Of COURSE, they should have their baby go with them.

This country was built on the premise that people will come here to settle. The old melting pot and all. And waiting for them as immigrants came upon our shore was this phrase written on the Statue of Liberty: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door."

Citizenship to those born here is a guaranteed right in the United States Constitution, and until someone amends that lovely, age old document, upon which the laws of our land are based, that's the way it is.

I don't love illegal immigrants, and friends of mine who are Mexican hate it when people are here illegally, but I find the term "anchor babies" offensive.

You can't split up a baby and a parent, but they should put a law into place where the parents have a certain amout of time to start the process of getting US citzenship. If the parents chose not to take the appropriate steps to get citzenship then everyone including the baby goes back to the country where the parents are from. That is the only fair thing to do, and the only one I believe would auctually work. I couldn't move to France and just start living there without becoming a citizen so why do people think they should be able to do it here? I have NO PROBLEM with people wanting to come into this country JUST DO IT LEGALLY. What part of illegal do you not understand!

I believe that any child born in the USA should have at least 1 LEGAL parent to automatically become a citizen. The constitutional language should be changed to reflect that. I don't care what country the parents are from, they should be here legally. My grandfather came here from Greece as a teenager, legally.

I think it wouldn't be an issue if the mother's were not over here illegally to begin with. But that seems to be an ongoing problem that doesn't seem to be able to get solved unfortunately.

Why are the immigrants the ones to blame? They are only doing what they are being allowed to do by the out-dated, failing system that our government has become. Any parent would want the best possible life for they're child, wouldn't you? They are trying to provide a safe life for they're family and our governments policies have given them the loop hole. Is it right? Absolutely not! Look at the whole picture, don't blame the little people, blame the one's that we legal citizens put in charge.

just a thought...I have recently visited a school where the (Spanish-speaking) teachers were not fluent in English. No joke.

In my opinion, that's teaching your children to break the law and get rewarded. And I agree with P S, why would you assume she was talking about mexicans if it wasn't such a HUGE problem here in the United States. But I also agree with one of the other posters,.. They couldn't do it if they weren't ALLOWED to do this and get away with it so easily. The working people in the U.S. work most of their adult lives and pay their dues just to have others come in and take it from them without paying their lifelong contribution. It's been that way for YEARS and I don't see it changing any time soon.

I think it needs to be treated on a case by case basis. If it's possible to find out if the woman has family back home or if she was hurt or abused until she ran. I think it also matters if she's working. If she came so her baby can have a good life and she's working and not applying for welfare, then it should not matter. But yes, if mom goes, the baby goes.