Thread: AZ: Birthright limits would harm children, critics say

Birthright limits would harm children, critics say

by Daniel González - Mar. 21, 2011 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

In many ways, Norma Jimenez is a typical teenager in America.

She tries to never miss an episode of "Grey's Anatomy," she loves spending weekends in front of the TV and she is partial to chicken Caesar salads.

Jimenez, 19, is also a top student. She graduated last year from Carl Hayden High School with a 3.7 GPA and a desire to become a registered nurse.

But because she was brought to the U.S. illegally from Mexico when she was 1, she doesn't have a Social Security number, meaning she can't get financial aid for college or legally work in the U.S.

"I'm very frustrated," Jimenez said. "At the end, you just see yourself as trapped."

Hundreds of thousands of other children would find themselves in that same sort of economic and social limbo should efforts succeed to restrict birthright citizenship. If the interpretation of the 14th Amendment were changed, in the future, the 300,000 to 400,000 children of illegal immigrants born every year in the United States - as Jimenez's brother and sister were - would not be citizens of this country.

"I'm frustrated, and I wasn't born here," Jimenez said, adding the situation would be worse for children born in the United States.

David Leopold, national president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said the move to abolish birthright citizenship would lead to an even larger group of so-called Dream Act kids like Jimenez, the 2 million young adults who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children, raised here and consider this country to be their home.

Yet without legal status, which the proposed Dream Act legislation would confer, they live in a shadow economy, often viewed as a burden - the same future that children born in the U.S. would face if birthright citizenship were eliminated.

"You'd create a whole underclass here," Leopold said. "You'd create an underclass of people who were permanently ineligible to participate in the country, akin to something you have in Europe. . . . It would intensify and increase the undocumented problem we have in the country."

It appears increasingly unlikely that opponents of birthright citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants will make much progress this year.

Republican lawmakers have introduced bills at both the state and federal levels aimed at ending the longstanding practice of granting automatic citizenship to nearly every child born in the U.S. regardless of their parents' status.

But in Arizona, the state Senate on Thursday rejected the legislative package. The bills would have defined children as citizens of the U.S. if they had at least one parent who was a legal immigrant or U.S. citizen.

Sponsors of the bills, including Arizona Sen. Ron Gould, R-Lake Havasu City, say one reason illegal immigrants come to the United States is so their U.S-born children can petition for them to become citizens.

Parents may hope their children's citizenship can help them stay in the U.S., but immigration rules make that unlikely.

Parents who entered the U.S. illegally would have to wait until their citizen-child was 21 before he or she could file immigration papers for them. And even then, the parents would have to return to their home country and wait 10 more years before they could qualify for green cards, Leopold said.

Under immigration laws adopted in 1996, immigrants seeking permanent residency through an immediate relative face a 10-year bar as punishment for entering illegally.

Still, opponents say they will continue to work on changing citizenship rules. State Rep. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, sponsored the House version of the birthright-citizenship bill.

"Anything we can do to discourage new illegal immigrants from coming or current illegals from staying is a benefit to the law and American society," he said.

Jimenez's mother, Maria Gloria Hernandez, 42, said she came to the United States to look for work so she could provide a better life for Norma.

A single mother at the time, she crossed the border illegally in 1992, walking through the desert near Agua Prieta. Someone else, using a birth certificate belonging to a U.S. citizen, drove baby Norma through the port of entry.

In Arizona, Hernandez married another undocumented immigrant from Mexico, Jaime Hernandez, 42. They are the parents of Laura, 13, and Jose, 9, Norma's U.S.-citizen siblings.

Sitting on a sofa in their Phoenix home, the couple said they initially planned to return to Mexico after earning money by working in the United States. But one of the main reasons they have remained is to raise their children.

"I don't want to take them to a country they don't know or to a country where they would suffer from hunger," said Jaime Hernandez, who works as a welder. His wife has worked as a field hand and a house cleaner and has ironed clothes. She now stays home to care for their children.

As U.S. citizens, their two youngest children are enrolled in KidsCare, the state's public health-care program for children.

The couple said they realize that some people don't think the children of illegal immigrants should receive public benefits, but they disagree. They said they are raising their children to be productive members of this country.

"More than anything, we want our children to be good citizens, good professionals, good workers for the United States," Jaime said. "We want them to be good at what whatever profession they choose."

And if their U.S.-born children weren't citizens, would they still stay in the United States, given the frustration their undocumented daughter Norma has been through?

The couple lowered their heads. They remained silent for several moments.

"We would still stay here," Jaime finally said. "Even if they didn't have their papers, this is their country."

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... z1HDlUAwDV

well go back home & be a nurse . we are sick of all the free bee
our kids don't get any help at all .

No amnesty

And if their U.S.-born children weren't citizens, would they still stay in the United States, given the frustration their undocumented daughter Norma has been through?

The couple lowered their heads. They remained silent for several moments.

"We would still stay here," Jaime finally said. "Even if they didn't have their papers, this is their country."

As long as illegal aliens are given free taxpayer funded $$$$$, they will stay here and more will continue to come. Cut off ALL social bennies to all children of illegal aliens and they will go back to their home countries.

Sitting on a sofa in their Phoenix home, the couple said they initially planned to return to Mexico after earning money by working in the United States.

They collect free benefits that should have been set aside for American citizens, free education for their children, free medical for year after year, save their money and return to Mexico as wealthy business owners. That's the plan, folks.

But because she was brought to the U.S. illegally from Mexico when she was 1, she doesn't have a Social Security number, meaning she can't get financial aid for college or legally work in the U.S.

Not too bright, this girl. She could buy a SSN on any street corner.

These illegals believe their children are entitled to public benefits, which they receive freely, and this is why the anchor baby population continues to explode.

obama
know all about this & it not doing one thing to stop . as I said Obama
Is not for American he just for all of the other well far . & the hell with us
well it not going to happen . I hope mr trump get to be President
he know what he is doing very well so congress & everyone I the wh start packing you out
from what I see you all that In the wh don't know your left hand from your right hand Obama worry about the other country & not our
he On a trip again to see about job . that agood one get all the Illegal immigrant the hell Out Of our country & we will have work
I saw On you tube that the black are also fighting for jobs
& every man & boy said the same thing they want jobs & so do the
American want our country Back
so stand up & fight like hell don't back down to any one
if they don't like our way get the Hell out
this is also for all of the other country & town & city . just say no
to all of the Illegal Immigrants
1 No job
2 no apartment for rent
3 no birth certificatie
4 No USA DR LIC?
5 no Med care

& they will go back home no amnesty

Cut the birthright citizenship and no more worries about deportation splitting up families. There goes the #1 excuse for not deporting illegals as the children would be deported with the parents 100% of the time.

"I'm very frustrated," Jimenez said. "At the end, you just see yourself as trapped."

Illegal immigrants parents who cross borders unlawfully and enter the U.S. should be deported and children leave with them this will cease the "trapped" feelings.

Why would anyone want to live in a Country illegally, when they can reside in their Country, live free and legal, without worries of deportations, which will eventually happen is something I find very hard to understand.

I imagine it is a horrible feeling living life styles as criminals, looking over your shoulders day and night, fear of being deported.

related

Birthright citizenship change would have wide effects
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-231888.html

BOO HOO she should go back home Mexico needs nurses with all the violence they have there.OH WAIT its not nurses they need its corenors they just kill. I cant feel sorry for her look at what the illegals are taking from our kids.Im sure there are alot of legal kids that would love to get a nurses job or a job at all.If it wasnt for the illegals taking jobs away from us we would have more people employed and unemploment rate would go down.The only jobs the illegals create in in law enforcement from the crimes they commit.