scrubbedexpat091

As mentioned by another, I don't think its that simple unless the person has done something else to warrant a detention/arrest, but as also mentioned seems to depend on if they are partnered up with the feds.

hungryhorace

What is the alternative? Have a system, like in England, where 'right to family life' trumps everything regardless of the crimes committed? That's an affront to society. The US system is broken, but mainly for those who came across the border before they could be held responsible for their actions (I don't know what the Federal age of criminal responsibility is America off hand), those who deliberately flouted the law must be punished for their actions.

The question is, what is the most appropriate punishment?

scrubbedexpat099

The mess is because neither political party wants to address the issue, I have yet to see any proposals that will. And you have to ask if any do get agreed will they be followed through, never have been in the past, so what has changed?

Sally Redux

They could always go after the employers of illegal immigrants really hard.

hungryhorace

I would entirely support that. Those who facilitate illegals are given gentle taps on the wrist. They are just as complicit as the illegal.

Sally Redux

At the moment it's completely mixed messages.

My feeling is that if you have rules, they should be enforced, or else change the visa system in a way which accommodates reality better.

What actually happens now is that you reward people who break the rules, and have a skewed 2-tier system for documented and undocumented immigrants.

Hotscot

Chinese Anchor Baby Home

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/mar...enter-20110325

Regardless of people's opinions...it does happen.

Sally Redux

Most of the women go back to China after giving birth. But they know their children can return easily in the future to enjoy such benefits as free public education.

Doesn't China have free public education?

scrubbedexpat099

I am sure that they are as many reasons for people doing it as there are people doing it.

Chinese I have read somewhere that they saw it as a long term investment, apart from anything else the child can sponsor them when they hit 21.

Seems reasonable insurance.

On another board there was a lady from Central America who came on her B2 to give birth, she used Medicaid so free. Well except the airfare.

Last comment I saw was that she had done it 3 times.

On VJ there is a post from someone on an E2, they had a child in the US on Medicaid and the Consulate cancelled his Visa, he is pretty pissed.

hungryhorace

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/to...-and-medicaid/

Love how the Pakistani's gentleman refers to $7k as a 'mere sum'. He was stupid; he should have taken out the appropriate medical insurance for him and his family.

kimilseung

If you have a system based on jus soli, seems silly to object to anchor babies, more sensible to ask for the system to change.

Hotscot

Yes but there's also an additional requirement, "and subject to the jurisdiction thereof."

Some would consider a new baby to automatically be under the jurisdiction of its parent's country of citizenship.

Steve_

There is no punishment, deportation is a civil proceeding, it's not a morally wrong thing to enter a country.

A country has a right to protect its borders but it's not as if people entering illegally for economic reasons are some great threat to national security.

And in the case of that girl's father, that appears to be all he did, enter without inspection or overstayed.

Steve_

That article says quite specifically it's for the benefit of the child.

"Anchor babies" are pretty much a myth, unless you're willing to wait 21 years.

Many times a day people who have children born in the US are removed, and moreover often they take their children with them.

I think when it comes to Chinese children as well, one of the reasons they do it is because of the one-child policy, this has been a big deal in Canada for years. What happens (or happened until they stopped it) was that Chinese people came over on the IIP or skilled worker programme, put most of their assets in trust, then stayed long enough to get citizenship and then went back to China, leaving the spouse and kids in Canada to get around the one-child policy.

In China if you have more than one child, the other children get no benefits so if you have them born in the US you at least have some way of them getting an education.

Steve_

How are they rewarded, the article is all about how they have their families broken up, die in the desert, etc.

But anyway the point the article makes is that the rules are being enforced, and when they are enforced the flaws in the system become apparent but Congress isn't willing to move to fix them.