Thread: TX-Nearly a third of El Paso kids are children of immigrants

Nearly a third of El Paso kids are children of immigrants

By Erica Molina Johnson
El Paso Times
Posted: 05/08/2009 11:18:59 AM MDT

EL PASO -- Nearly 32 percent of El Paso's children live in families where one or both parents were born in another country, according to a study made public today.

Almost all of these children are U.S. citizens, the Center for Public Policy Priorities said in its annual survey, "Texas Kids Count: Our Border, Our Future."

"The argument about the border being filled with undocumented kids who don't deserve services is a bunch of bunk, and now you have the data to back it up," said Frances Deviney, director of Texas Kids Count.

The report also concluded that children in immigrant families are far more likely to live in poverty than those who live with parents born in America.

It showed that El Paso's median household income continues to trail the state median, that border and El Paso unemployment rates are higher than in the state overall and that children living on the border are more than twice as likely to live in poverty.

In 2006, 21.5 percent of Texas children lived in poverty. That figure climbs to 37.9 percent when looking at only El Paso, and to 45.4 percent when looking at all border counties.

Erica Molina Johnson may be reached at emolina@elpasotimes.com; 546-6132.

http://www.elpasotimes.com/newupdated/ci_12325907

TX-Nearly a third of El Paso kids are children of immigrants

Are they children of immigrants or children or illegals? The children and their parents must go back to their home country, Mexico.

This is the most overlooked issue in the whole illegal immigration issue: most of the illegal alien males are in this country with illegal alien females and anchor children. The benefits flow because these kids are legally "American citizens", and are therefore entitled to them. Birthright citizenship is as big a magnet as the jobs in bringing illegals to the U.S. The number of anchor kids in this country is huge and increases every day.