Children Born in US of Illegal Immigrants

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In this morning's paper, there is a story about a family whose parents have lived in the US illegally for eleven years:

[quote]Her predicament is one that an estimated 4 million to 5 million others face nationwide. They are the children, like Jennifer, 9, Jessica, 5 and Emily, almost 2. Their parents are like de los Santos, 31, who came to the United States illegally from Mexico 11 years ago.

Miami-Dade County immigration activist Nora Sandigo this week plans to refile with the U.S. Supreme Court a long-shot petition to halt deportations of illegal immigrants with U.S. citizen children. Her lawyer, Alfonso Oviedo-Reyes, said the high court asked for some modifications to the class-action lawsuit.

"These children are orphaned because of a cruel and absurd immigration policy that violates the civil and constitutional rights of U.S. citizen children," Sandigo said. "That's why we want to take this to the Supreme Court. It's a way to pressure Congress to change the laws and President Bush to sign an executive order to stay the parents' deportation."

The Federation for American Immigration Reform, which promotes stricter immigration controls, said the plan is a bad idea.

"Children are not human shields," FAIR spokesman Ian Mehlman said. "Nobody wants to see kids hurt, but when parents break the law, they're responsible for any consequences to their family members."[/quote]Link to Story

Apparently, the woman has had three children in the US, and is pregnant with a fourth. Her husband has been deported back to Mexico, and she is scheduled to be deported also. There are organizations working to see that illegal immigrants who have had children in the US, should not be deported.

What do you think of this?

Should parents who have come to the US illegally be permitted to stay because they have children who are American citizens?

Should children of illegal aliens born in the US be conferred automatic US citizenship?

I know that this is a complex problem that is fraught with emotions. My expectation is that this subject is to be treated seriously, and with respect and objectivity. Thanks in advance!

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No and yes.

No, they should NOT be permitted to stay because they have children who are American citizens. They chose a risky lifestyle, they should face the consequences.

Yes, children of illegal aliens born in the US be conferred automatic US citizenship. And when they are old enough to take care of themselves, they will have that citizenship to fall back on.

If a parent robs a bank, we have no sympathy for them and their family, why should we for people that commit other crimes?

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I feel they should be deported and they should take their children with them. When the child is of majority, as montioned above, they can fall back on that citizenship.

However, I find this comment quite appalling..."These children are orphaned because of a cruel and absurd immigration policy that violates the civil and constitutional rights of U.S. citizen children," Sandigo said. "That's why we want to take this to the Supreme Court. It's a way to pressure Congress to change the laws and President Bush to sign an executive order to stay the parents' deportation."

This sub-human, Sandigo, is using the children as a SHIELD to justify and illegal act.

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Of course they should stay. It cost the government more to take care
of these "orphaned" children, then allowing their parents to stay in the US.
Most of them are hard workers who just want to provide for their families.

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CalamityJane wrote:

Of course they should stay. It cost the government more to take care
of these "orphaned" children, then allowing their parents to stay in the US.
Most of them are hard workers who just want to provide for their families.

Would you welcome them all into your house indefinately, without advance invitation?

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I'm a hard worker that wants to provide for my family. Can I illegally enter Canada? Australia? Any European country and have children so that I can stay?

We either need to make the borders secure and stop the flow of illegal entrants, enforcing the law, or go ahead and throw the door wide open. This inbetween crap is... well. crap.

If it were a free and open world, where anyone could live where they want cause we are all humans sharing a planet and resources I'd have less problem with it.

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CalamityJane wrote:

Of course they should stay. It cost the government more to take care
of these "orphaned" children, then allowing their parents to stay in the US.
Most of them are hard workers who just want to provide for their families.

The problem with this line of thinking, is that IMO it would just encourage more illegal immigration. Is it fair that a pregnant woman comes over the border illegally, knowing that if her child is born here, that is the mother's ticket of admission into the U.S.?

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squinney wrote:

I'm a hard worker that wants to provide for my family. Can I illegally enter Canada? Australia? Any European country and have children so that I can stay?

We either need to make the borders secure and stop the flow of illegal entrants, enforcing the law, or go ahead and throw the door wide open. This inbetween crap is... well. crap.

If it were a free and open world, where anyone could live where they want cause we are all humans sharing a planet and resources I'd have less problem with it.

HERE>>HERE!!!

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Quote:

We either need to make the borders secure and stop the flow of illegal entrants, enforcing the law, or go ahead and throw the door wide open. This inbetween crap is... well. crap.

Well said, squinney. Either we have immigration laws and enforce them, or we don't.

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I don't know what the policy answer should be, but if I were that woman I would go and take my children with me. The only other option would be to allow the children to stay with relatives or really good friends so that they could be afforded the educational opportunities that all other American citizen children are afforded. I presume that's where the conflict lies -- the children are entitled to a better way of life by virtue of their citizenship whereas the parents are not. Deporting the parents deprives the children of that.

How do other countries deal with this situation? Or is it not a problem for others because they don't award citizenship on the basis of birth?

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Freeduck- I would be interested in knowing the policies of other countries with regards to kids born in their country of illegal immigrants.

I really question the issue of granting citizenship to a child who was brought into the country by an illegal alien, and born here.

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Yeah, but that goes to who we are as a country. If birth doesn't entitle one to citizenship, then we need to decide what does.

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For long years, a child born in France from alien parents was automatically given French citizenship. Then, the laws began to change, so only at his majority, could he claim his French citizenship.

Now, a child born in France from alien parents can have French citizenship only if his parents claim it for him at the age of thirteen or he can claim it for himself at eighteen if he has been living in France for the last eleven years.

When parents are illegal aliens and they are deported, the children are deported with them, even though they are born in France.

However, it creates enormous problems when children are schooled.
Many human rights associations oppose their deportation and it always make big headlines in the papers...

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I still say that the solution is to make Mexico / South America clean up it's act, do what is needed to improve education, living conditions and wages. Don't know how to do that, but I'm not the one making the big bucks to know that. I just know it's the solution.

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squinney wrote:

I still say that the solution is to make Mexico / South America clean up it's act, do what is needed to improve education, living conditions and wages.

It has been done in Europe along the years and it does work...

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As a Canadian who spent six years working with temporary foreign doctors, I've had this situation come up a few times. One doctor from Mexico, Maria, married another doctor from another country. Both were here on temporary fixed-term educational visas. Maria got pregnant but her term ran out 3 months before the baby was due. She asked me to extend her visa. I said I would if she could provide me with an employment/education contract from her division. This she couldn't do, of course, but argued that her husband's visa did extend that far and this was their baby. Of course, I couldn't do it. And I wouldn't even argue for her because the father was soon to be finished and would exit the country as well.

I understand they preferred to live in Canada, but you have to go through the system. They wouldn't be able to work in Canada as doctors even if they did go through the system because the RCPS did not recognize their training (as meeting our standards).

There's a reason why we have standards and a reason why we have rules. They may need to be updated or extended more often than they are, but you can't have people breaking the law whenever they feel like it or anarchy rules.

So, I say the whole family should go home and the children can return when they are legally entitled and able to support themselves (or get sponsored).

In the UK now, being born there does not automatically confer that citizenship on you. My daughter's son was born in London, England and he was considered a Canadian citizen and given a Cdn passport.

I think we will wind up going global, but that's a long way off.

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Phoenix32890 wrote:

I really question the issue of granting citizenship to a child who was brought into the country by an illegal alien, and born here.

Me, too. They should take the parents' citizenship. As a child, they should have no rights in that respect.

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oops

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Phoenix32890 wrote:

Freeduck- I would be interested in knowing the policies of other countries with regards to kids born in their country of illegal immigrants.

I really question the issue of granting citizenship to a child who was brought into the country by an illegal alien, and born here.

Phoenix, Germany for instance, even pays child support for children whose
parents are working in Germany (guest workers) and their children are
back home - that's mostly Turkey.

Let's face it, we won't get rid of illegal aliens, they're part of the US,
the sooner we find a way to incorporate them - i.e. giving them guest
worker status which allows them to pay taxes and receive benefits -
the better we're off. Deporting illegal aliens whose children are Americans
is a cruel way for not dealing with the immigration issue properly.

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Guest Worker status - interesting concept. I haven't read the whole thread which may explain it CJane.

Exactly how does in work, how long has it been in place in Germany and is it done in other countries.

Another thought I had is how do illegal immigrants form their own lobby and petition the powers that be for this sort of accomendation?

They are here, their presence is allowed in many instances because of the services they perform.

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Children Born in US of Illegal Immigrants

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