Anchor Babies Debate

Illegal Immigration: Is it truly all that bad?

Illegal immigration into the United States from its southern border country, Mexico has drawn the attention of many over the last few years. Since 9-11 border security and national security have given notice to the immigration activity from Mexican citizens into the United States typically through either California or Texas borderlines. With these immigrants comes a host of benefits and problems that must be evaluated to determine if this immigration activity should be more strictly controlled in some manner. One issue is the fact that children born in the United States to illegal immigrants are automatically granted U.S. citizenship and all the rights thereof. These "anchor babies" number 200,000 each year. Should these illegal immigrants' children born in the U.S. be allowed to become naturalized citizens? Let's review the benefits and problems associated with illegal immigration and anchor babies in the United States.

Providing illegal immigrants' children born in the U.S. citizenship will avoid social unrest by immigrants. These anchor babies as they are labeled by some are automatically granted citizenship to the USA. Through this grant the immigrants gain a sense of acceptance and homeland allegiance that spawns happiness and a sense of future opportunity.

By embracing all babies at birth as Americans, the nation has avoided the societal unrest that has festered in France, where even French-born children of Arab and other legal immigrants do not automatically become citizens until they reach 18. Resentment and discrimination from that segregated status is blamed for contributing to the rage that exploded into riots in recent weeks across France. (Hoffman, 2005)

The right to citizenship granted in the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution is a fundamental basis of our country and as such should remain without change. The amendment originally authored to allow former slaves to become legal citizens of the U.S. should not be changed to attempt to control what is simply a border control issue. U.S Citizenship being granted through the fourteenth amendment, when a child is birthed inside its borders, "is a concept that should remain sacrosanct. If we change that simple and straightforward process we open the door for all manner of re-interpretation at any given time. And that would undermine the very basis of being an American" (Hutson, 2005).

Illegal immigrants in the U.S. are adding value to the country's economy and therefore should be encouraged to remain. One means of encouragement is the birth right citizenship being provided the children born on U.S. soil. "A landmark National Academy of Sciences report found that immigrants contribute more than $10 billion annually to the economy. Other estimates range as high as $80 billion" (Kerpen, 2005). Immigrant workers have provided inexpensive labor that has allowed for the growth of many small businesses. The U.S. government has reaped the financial benefits that illegal immigrants are providing through taxes which improves social services and keeps our tax increases under control. "An immigrant and his or her children will pay on average about $80,000 more in taxes during their lifetimes than they collect in government services....In 1997, the U.S. reaped a $50 billion surplus from taxes paid by immigrants" (Immigration, n.d.). If the immigrants obtain a college degree they will line the pockets of government with "$198,000 more in taxes during their lifetime then they collect in government services" (Immigration, n.d.). Illegal immigration is good business for the U.S. government. Social Security programs are well funded by illegal immigrants who pay much more than they receive from the system. Keeping the current level of immigrants the same the social security taxes paid by immigrants versus the benefits they receive is nearly "$500 billion for the 1998-2022 period and nearly $2.0 trillion through 2072" (Immigration, n.d.). One might ask themselves if we have all these advantages associated with immigrants and anchor babies what problems could they possibly cause.

Anchor babies serve as a foundation to get citizenship for their families which is negatively affecting U.S. population growth. When anchor babies reach the age of 21 "they become eligible to sponsor for legal immigration most of their relatives, including their illegal-alien mothers" (Birthright, n.d.). This lure of extended family members has resulted in exponential change in growth rate numbers for the U.S. Pregnant women, by the thousands, cross our borders legally and illegally to give birth to an American citizen each year.

The illegal immigrant children born in the U.S. are draining our medical system resources. "What is unseen is their free medical care that has degraded and closed some of America's finest emergency medical facilities, and caused hospital Bankruptcies"(Cosman, 2005, p.6.). The illegal aliens and their typically uncared for unborn child are exposing America to diseases that have been eliminated previously in the U.S.. Diseases such as "drug-resistant tuberculosis, malaria, leprosy, plague, polio, dengue, and Chagas disease" (Cosman, 2005, p.6.) are being found in the care of these illegal immigrants. Under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act or 1985 (EMTALA) hospitals are required to provide emergency services to the uninsured, a large percentage of which are the illegal immigrants and their new born children. The burden on our social programs from these illegal immigrants and their children is draining our social programs close to our borders.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors states that two thirds of the births in Los Angeles county hospitals are to illegal aliens. Additionally, Mr. Antonovich notes that these children now account for thirty percent of all AFDC (Aid to Families with Dependent Children) cases in Los Angeles County. (Adams, 1993).

The granting of citizenship thereby providing eligibility for anchor babies when they become 21 to sponsor their families for citizenship is changing the political policies in America to better suite the needs of the minorities and not necessarily what is best for America. "For both parties, immigrants who become citizens - and therefore potential voters - represent a rich trove of support. In particular, the race is on for the Hispanics, now the largest minority in America and whose political allegiance remains in flux" (Feldmann, 2005).

Illegal immigrant workers are causing American workers to loose their jobs due to their acceptance of lower wages causing unemployment issues for the low skilled workers of America. In the hotel industry immigrant workers are displacing