Illegal Immigrant Births - At Your Expense

Taxpayers Foot Bill For Roughly 300,000 Children Born Into Citizenship When Their Parents Are Illegal

(CBS)  It was 5 a.m. and CBS News national correspondent Byron Pitts is with a woman who is nine months pregnant. She's rushed to a south Texas hospital to undergo a C-section - a $4,700 medical procedure that won't cost her a dime. She qualifies for emergency Medicaid.

She gave birth to a healthy, 8 1/2 pound baby boy - born in America. His Mexican mother gave him an American name: Eliot.

Eliot is one of an estimated 300,000 children of illegal immigrants born in the United States every year, according to the Pew Hispanic Center. They're given instant citizenship because they are born on U.S. soil, which makes it easier for their parents to become U.S. citizens.

That's because those babies can eventually sponsor their parents - when they turn 21 years old.

As for Eliot's mother, no longer as fearful of deportation, she told CBS News her name, Fabiola, and her story.

"So your son is an American citizen. What does that mean to you?" Pitts asked.

"I am very glad that he was born. That's why I came here - so my children, my husband and I could have a better life," she said through a translator.

Back in December, when she was six months pregnant, Fabiola, her husband and their two daughters - ages 4 and 11 - crossed the Rio Grande from Mexico into the U.S.

Once on the other side of the river they walked for two hours in search of a better life and free medical care for their unborn child.

"Do many women in Mexico make the choice to have their children in the United States?" Pitts asked.

"Yes," she said through a translator. "I know people who have done that. Things are much better here in the U.S. because they help children so much more."

It's a "better" life ... that American taxpayers help pay for.

Take healthcare for example -- an estimated $1.1 billion per year for undocumented men, women and children, according to the Rand Corporation.

Joe Riley is the CEO of the McAllen Texas Medical Center near the Texas-Mexico border. Forty percent of the children born there, nearly 2,400 last year, were the babies of illegal immigrants.

Riley has seen and heard it all.

"Mothers about to give birth that walk up to the hospital still wet from swimming across the river in actual labor … dirty, wet, cold," he said.

But here to have a child?

"Here to have a child in the U.S.," he said.

McAllen is part of a large hospital system. Like all hospitals, it is mandated by law to treat all emergency-room patients, not verify citizenship.

"We have uncompensated care of over $200 million a year," Riley said.

"Of money that you'll never see again?" Pitts asked.

"Yes," he said.

Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, said: "It is not fair to the taxpayers who have to foot the bill."

Congress has all but given up on comprehensive immigration reform. But lawmakers like Smith want to solve birth citizenship to illegal immigrants, in part by challenging the 14th Amendment, which guarantees U.S. citizenship to any child born in America.

"It seems fundamentally wrong that we ought to give the greatest honor of their citizenship," Smith said. "His or her mother came across the border illegally."

Many Americans who struggle to take care of their own families think it is unfair that they should take care of a family and they are not U.S. citizens.

"I don't understand the resentment," said. "I know that God will help them, too."

That's what Fabiola's doing for young Eliot. Relying on her faith, her family … and the U.S. government.

[antoniof123]

OK so tell me something I don''t already know.

I could have told the people this and instead of paying your salary they could have paid me nothing.

Wow, and they say that we Americans are dumb.

Money for nothing and your checks for free.

[veteran72]

I think I''ll take some pregnant girl and go over to Mexico and get instant citizenship,......Oh, wait a minute,.....they don''t allow that over there,.....my bad,....come on over Mexicans, the door''s been wide open for the last 7 years,.....

[cbsblogger]

This illegal immigrant issue should be at the forefront of the debate for the next President. I want to hear which candidate will defend our borders and put illegal employers into prison.

It has been manuevered by the left as racist, and by the right as needed for our economy. The bottom line is that it is very harmful and costly to the standard of living of most all American citizens.

[marynsb]

The additional area of concern would be F1 Visa Students. They arrive at college, announce pregancy during first semester, get a physicians excuse to not attend classes due to stress (total disability ??), get their tuition back and then stay in the U.S. until the baby is born.

[onehotserb]

its about time someone addressed the drop a kid hes a citizen law as this woman stated she came here and knew that if she dropped her kid on us soil it would be an automatic us citzen. thousands do the same thing millions even. this law was introdused back in the 20s to encourage immogration from other countries NOW ITS BEING ABUSED AND WE ARE SUFFERING FOR IT. I GUARENTEE IF YOU REPEAL THIS LAW IT WILL CUT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION IN HALF IF NOT COMPLETELY. THIS LAW IS OUT DATED AND NEEDS TO BE REPEALED.

[jolievie]

I hope that the politicians read this, it is shameful for them to protect and provide for these illegal people out of our tax dollars for the anchor babies and prison cells. Where are the walls at the south border? the law of the land? the government? It is so frustrated. No wonder Americans think these illegal immigrants are trash and parasites

[cmp271]

This has to stop. We should take the child, as it is an American, and deport the parents. If the parents don''t like it they can go to jail, or sign a paper denouncing the child is entitled to American citizenship-and then deport the lot of them.

Write to your US Congressmen and women, and US Senators. We need to repeal the 14th amendment, and re-write it as only American parents or legal immigrants are allowed to be entitled to their child, even if born within our borders, having American citizenship.

We need to stop the bleeding heart press from reporting on this. Who cares if they are deported. Good riddance!!!

[jolievie]

WHAT HAPPEN TO THE CANDIDATES? NONE OF THEM WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS ISSUE! ARE THEY AFRAID OF THESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS?

[j0xujahc]

My family were immigrants when they arrived, how about all the rest of you? Except for the Native Americans we were all immigrants in the last couple centuries. I guess it matters when one arrives. You know, the old "We are with benefits, lets keep the benefits to ourselves. We sure don''t want to share those with those who come after us." self interest groups.

[cmp271]

Better yet-let''s send the bill to Mexico for the amount due for the hospital. We shouldn''t have to pay for this. It is against the law. Intent to fraud. These women know they are illegal, it should be a crime, toss them in jail.

[popstom1]

Send them back

[onemagyver]

It''s no wonder the woman is smiling. She unlawfully got U.S. benefits that should have been earmarked for injured and homeless veterans. If a country can''t take care of its own, then it stands for nothing!

[hungry1968]

They need to repeal this law, that if you''re born here then you''re automatically a citizen. The parents should have to be LEGALIZED CITIZENS for at least a year, before the newborn counts as a citizen. This law might have been a good idea in the "melting pot" days, but it''s killing us now.

Also, the government should bill back the health care back to these illegals home countries. If they don''t pay it, then we''ll take it off the foreign aid we give them every year.

[vastr-wcon]

The open borders advocates never admit to the horrific economic penalty American citizen workers and taxpayers must pay due to the illegals.

The results of a recent landmark study by George Borjas, professor of economic and social policy at Harvard University, showed that Arizona workers lose $1.4 billion in wages a year because companies there hire illegals and because foreigners in the state illegally have reduced the employment rate of legal Arizona residents. These results reinforce those of the outstanding 2007 Heritage Foundation study by Robert Rector, which showed that the average cost to taxpayers in government services is about $32,000 per household of illegals.

In addition to this staggering burden, the taxpayers in Arizona have recently gotten a bill from the state for $300 MILLION to teach illegals English!

These are some the costs of the massive invasion of the US by illegals. The open-borders advocates just don''t get it - but the legal workers and taxpayers in Arizona do!

[timdgrim]

The problem with Illegal Immigration will cause this country and it''s legal citizens more problems than 2 or 3 Iraq wars. We are losing our American culture and it is going to fall from outside influences. Quit trying to fix the worlds problems and pay attention to America. WE NEED HELP!

[rockelvis8]

Close your eyes and imagine that you live in a village without electricity and running water. The only jobs available only pays you enough to either eat, or pay rent. Hundreds of miles away there is a land where you can make some money to send back to your families to live a better life. My question to you is: would you do that? Now, how can you complain? Most of our "illegals" are from Mexico and Central America. Would you feel the same hatred (even for babies!) if these immigrants were from Norway? I doubt it. The saddest part, is how many of you consider yourselves good Christians? I''m sure a large portion of you do. Jesus Christ would have embraced the immigrants and helped them, not denounced them! You should all be ashamed.

[nobdehom]

By God I''m going to Mexico and find the nicest Resort to stay at and go on Welfare.....what do you think?

[omega39-2009]

Fear not, el presidente Bush is working on this even as we post. His plan is to outsource even more jobs to Mexico and South America. Soon those people won''t have a need to come here for a better life. It will be us sneaking across their borders for a better life.

[timdgrim]

rockelvis8:

Fine...give us your address and we''ll send them right over!

[bgddy58]

j0xujahc wrote: My family were immigrants when they arrived, how about all the rest of you? Except for the Native Americans we were all immigrants in the last couple centuries. I guess it matters when one arrives. You know, the old "We are with benefits, lets keep the benefits to ourselves. We sure don''''t want to share those with those who come after us." self interest groups.

My family (grandparents) were immigrants too. The difference is that they didn''t expect or receive any entitlements or public aid. They paid their own way.

I have no problem with illegal immigration as far as "them" being here. I''m not racist (at least I don''t think so), I enjoy Mexican food and hispanic culture, and I speak passible Spanish.

But I do not think that it is fair for the U.S. taxpayer to pay for the privilege of having their children born here, or for having their children educated here. Make the services available, yes. Paid for by U.S. taxpayers, no.

The U.S. should adopt a system like many Euorpean countries use: if people want to come to the U.S., let them in. But they either pay for their own services AT LEAST AT THE SAME RATE as U.S. citizens, or the U.S. govt. bills their country of origin a flat amount for services. I believe in the EU is comes out to be about the eqivilent of $8,000/yr per individual.

[concerned22]

Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, said: "It is not fair to the taxpayers who have to foot the bill."


Do you realize that if we had the Fair Tax ( www.fairtax.org ) they would be paying taxes the same as the rest of us?

[payasyougo]

Illegal immigrants of today cannot be compared to the immigrants that made this country.

Immigrants of long ago were contributers to this country. It was a time before free government handouts. You actually had to be responsible for you and your family''s well being.

Today''s illegal immigrants are taking advantage of a system put in place for a different reason. They are net consumers. Their taxes (if they pay any at all) don''t compensate for what they consume. Do you blame them?

So the contributing immigrants of yesteryear vs. the take what you can get illegals of today.

Eliminate the free social programs and most of the problem goes away.

[Torilin]

OMG, other countries'' problem just turned into ours! And our govnm''t officials are not fixing this leakage of fund? Outrage!! my tax $$ is paid to kill Iriqis and give birth to barely-legal Americans? Whatever happen to freedom and the American dream when one work hard one earn a place amonst the wealthy?

[maiingan]

Your story is biased in favor of illegal aliens. You omitted the rest of that key 14th amendment, "... and subject to the jurisdiction thereof." The only jurisdiction newborns of illegal aliens should be sbject to is the deportation of their parents, even if it took too long. This amendment was intended to right some wrongs of the slavery era, after the Civil War. I did my library research about it: go do yours. I''m not sure how it works, but to the best of my knowledge and belief, the USA does not feel compelled to confer citizenship on newborns of aliens here legally, such as tourists and diplomats. So I don''t think illegal aliens can make a case for forcing us to give their newborns citizenship.

[garnet2468]

Bring us your computer scientists, your medical doctors, your registered nurses, your civil engineers, your electrical engineers, your biotechnologists, your chemists, your physicists, your invest....

[arapahonati1]

Well I dont think that is as bad as these mothers that are CITIZENS! and are working the system. Having 5-10 kids with different men and living on welfare! tell me when are you going to print or air a story about those mothers. At least the parents of these now citizen babies are out there looking for work or working before or after they give birth.
come on doesnt our tax dollars pay for those citizens here that arent doing a *** thing to get their own insurance? their sitting back in their trailor parks smoking, drinking, and having babies....
Maybe their should be more light shined on those mothers to get them on a program to stop having babies and learn a trade....

[janetina-2009]

1.1 Billion per year...in hospital expenses for these illegal''s to have their babies. If it gives a chance for these families to have a better life I can buy into it. However, let''s qualify that and give the same benefit to those of us that are here legally! Let''s propose to take some of the 26 billion + - that we spend monthly in Iraq and give health care to every American. Let''s at least provide the same quality health care that our employees (Senator''s, Congress, etc. yes, they are OUR EMPLOYEES) already have.

[Torilin]

arapahonati1
doesnt our tax dollars pay for those citizens here that arent doing a *** thing to get their own insurance? their sitting back in their trailor parks smoking, drinking, and having babies....
---------------------------------------

So true, so true! We need to find some ways to fix that, too. And use the fund to do more meaningful things like putting into education and justice system!

[option-allie]

Things were so bad back home she dumped her fat 8 1/2 pound Healthy-Arse-Julio on the U.S.? Send her back with a boot mark on her head.

[blackbug99]

Only legal immigrants or visitors should be allowed, when giving birth, to declare the child a citizen of America. Illegals should get nothing but proper care before they are deported. No rights, no medicare, nada!

[mufuart]

One of the below posters said that something like "we are all immigrants and have been for decades and centuries". The problem with that is something called "exponential growth in population".
Population grows exponentially. Here are the figures.

In 1830, the population of the earth reached 1 billion for the first time.
In 1930, or in just 100 years, the population of the earth doubled from 1 billion to 2 billion.
And then in 1976, or in just 46 years, the population of the earth doubled from 2 billion to 4 billion. (By 2008, we are up to 6.5 billion people.)

"Unchecked" immigration worked up to 1930 and maybe even up to 1976, but to continue the same policy after 1976 would be insane and we can no longer apply the same rule of, "aren''t we all immigrants for decades and centuries"? Yes, but that only worked while the population of the earth was still low. To continue that policy now equals self-destruction.

[veteran72]

Let''s see, an Illegal Mexican getting free hospital care, including meals, at my expense, while homeless Combat Veterans sleep under a bridge, hungry and without any government assistance whatsoever,......
Hmmmmmm,........

[kansas1946]

This is definately a loop-hole that needs to close in our constitution. I have no problem with immigrants who are here legally, have children born here that automatically become American citizens. But, I think if parents are here illegally, citizenship should not automatically be granted to their children. Not only do they break the law and get that perk, all of it is paid for by Americans that are struggling to afford health care for their own families. It is morally wrong to expect struggling families in America to pay the medical for these people. I would start sending the bill to Mexico.

[barbaraf4]

We had friends visit from England several years ago. Before they were granted a visa, they had to prove private medical insurance with US coverage (versus their own socialized medical coverage in the UK), they had to provide US automobile insurance for their rental car, they had to provide roundtrip tickets for everyone in their party, but most importantly, they had to post bond that they would not become a financial burden to the US.

Those who get in illegally should be treated like the criminals they are. Give birth, have the child taken away by family services (we will end up supporting it anyway), and put mom on the next bus out.

[prinzowhales]

And Obama and Clinton and McCain all support it...
And like docile cattle, Americans low and moo, and vote for those who support it...

[randynason]

If my mother and father were illiterate, poor, sad all the time because they''re so poor and my siblings were drug addicts, gangsters and prostitutes, I''d want to come to the United States, too. Don''t know exactly why, though, when we have that right here, too.

[ontheleft]

The illegals wouldn''t come here if the employers in the U.S. didn''t hire them. There is zero enforcement of employers. The employers get cheap and eager labor and the taxpayers wind up paying for social services for them. It''s no different than what Wal-mart does. They pay substandard wages with little or no health insurance benefits and the local taxpayers wind up making up the difference.

Meanwhile the CEOs and management of these companies are making tons of money off the deal and are able to live far away from the neighborhoods the illegals settle in and experience none of the negatives of illegal immigration.

[kansas1946]

Well I dont think that is as bad as these mothers that are CITIZENS! and are working the system. Having 5-10 kids with different men and living on welfare! tell me when are you going to print or air a story about those mothers. Posted by arapahonati1 *******************************************

There have been plenty of stories done on these "welfare mothers." That is how you know about it. Americans have raised cain about that and still raise cain about it. Clinton put in place a welfare to work program that got huge numbers of these people back to work. And that has nothing to do with illegals coming here and getting free health care on the American taxpayers dime. Let Mexico take care of her own people. Mexico has as many resources as America, but they refuse to take care of their own people.

[prinzowhales]

Californians tried to do something about illegals, but the courts overruled them...that''s how democracy works now in America...Support your local sheriffs, hang your judges...

[ponco seno]

SIMPLE-SHE IS ILLEGAL THE BABY IS ILLEGAL= DEPORT

[timdgrim]

mufuart:

Exactly! This earth is not getting bigger but the population is and people are living longer and longer.
Why? After 50 it sucks anyway!

[bgwinnett]

Go back and help drag your country into developed status, you''ll get there in a thew decades, though while you may not necessarily benefit from this your children certainly will.The same would only apply if you stayed in the US laboring on farms for peanuts giving the US 2 buck chuck whilst helping your children get on and you''ll be doing it for your country not the US. The forefathers in every nation had to make sacrifices for future generations to succeed. Look at Victorian England, children were sweeping chimneys and working the mines for a penny a month as a result of industrialization, the most traumatic of all social revolutions buy being the first, but that rapidly changed. China is going through the same Process as the West once did but not as brutally.That''s not possible even in china. It will be even less for you.

[ponco seno]

GIVE HER A BOX OF PAMPERS & SIMILAC AND DROP HER A THE MEXICAN BORDER.

[prinzowhales]

So...we have welfare wh*res in America with their deadbeat husbands living off the system..."Give us your weak-minded and strong backed who will work for peanuts for the rich and vote for benefits at the expense of the middle class."

[what_a_crock]

This really p*i*s*s*e*s me off. We can''t get decent health care but our tax dollars can pay for this? America - weep for the loss of our country.

[lauraboo6]

I agree with the majority of comments, and think it''s wonderful that so many of us from different parts of the country feel the same way. It''s outrageous that people who sneak into our country illegally, and are therefore criminals, get all the perks of instant citizenship for their babies and eventually for their whole family. We are being used, and our lawmakers need to stop ignoring this problem, and enact laws that punish, not reward these criminals!

[important3]

guess what else??? you''re not going to like this one! I''ve met and I''ve also heard them on the radio anchor babies bragging that their mothers waited until they were 8 to 9 months due to give birth to them they travel to the United States just to give citizenship with no intentions of living here, they returned with their newly born American back to their homeland. So, these 20 or older anchor babies returned back as adults to the United States nonchalant. You know why they do that and all else... because we''re stupid!!! Mexico weathy are untouch living freely and so on. Remember this! Reagan 1986 amnesty was the biggest mistake a president could do worst then this current president has done!

[prinzowhales]

The thing is, she should never have been across the border, but thanks to the Demopublican created immigration laws and failure to secure the border, she is here...and Americans are just too d.amn married to the Demopublicans to vote them out and set things right in Washington...They have this stupid idea that if the problem is publicized and everyone knows about it, people in Congress will do the right thing and take care of the problem...Guess what chumps, *** Cheney said it best when confronted with the fact that Americans didn''t support the war in Iraq..."So?", he said. Americans don''t support open borders and NAFTA, "So?" the Demopublicans say.

What are Americans going to do? Hold their breaths and stomp their little feet?

[centexgirl]

I know there are laws that prevent hospitals from turning away expectant mothers. Some laws should be changed. I know it is harsh, but these are harsh times. Still wet from the river? Well, swim your illegal butt back home and have that baby. Its hard enough taking care of our own.. we should NOT have to take in Mexico''s problems too.

[liberalme]

If my mother and father were illiterate, poor, sad all the time because they''''re so poor and my siblings were drug addicts, gangsters and prostitutes, I''''d want to come to the United States, too. Don''''t know exactly why, though, when we have that right here, too.
Posted by RandyNason

How far did you go in school?

My grandparents came here from 3 different countries LEGALLY!
The first thing they did was find work, they knew english from their home countries. They became CITIZENS.
They WORKED hard on farms, factories and in building homes furniture--what ever it took to earn a living.
There were no "social gratuities", if there were, they would have been too proud to use them anyway.

They became part of what this country is all about--LEGALLY--

Most of these people have no intention of even learning English--some care illerate--I have seen it.

Their wages are low (even in the building industry) they get every handout available. Free medical, food stamps, subsidized housing and they even get subsidy in buying a house--and they don''t even have the decency to learn the very language they''re free loading from.

Deport--youwant to come here? Come LEGALLY, learn English and prove you can support yourself and yoru family.