What should happen to U.S. children of illegal alien couple being deported?

[Little-Acorn]

A hypothetical question... except it's not hypothetical. This has already happened many times: illegal aliens get deported after having kids here. What happens to the kids?

An adult man crosses the border illegally, and lives here. He marries someone, say another illegal alien. They have kids here. The kids are U.S. citizens under the current interpretation of the 14th amendment, since they were born on U.S. soil.

Then the man (and maybe his wife) get busted by ICE, proven to be illegal aliens (which they in fact are), and get listed for deportation.

What happens to the kids?

The kids are U.S. citizens, no doubt about it. ICE has no grounds whatever for deporting them. But the parents are unquestionable illegal aliens, and the law is clear, the parents must be deported. Must the family be broken up? Who says so?

I've hear some people protest that it's inhuman for ICE to separate the kids (who are, say, 3 and 4 years old by now) from their parents. But is it ICE who is actually doing that?

This man knew before he ever came here, that he was breaking U.S. law, and was subject to deportation if caught. And his wife, if she is also an illegal alien, knew the same about herself. And when they were making kids here on U.S. soil and delivering them, they knew the same was still true.

It's not ICE who is planning to split up this family. It is the man and his wife, knowing that he and she might be booted out at any time for breaking U.S. immigration law, and that any kids they produced while living illegally in America, would be citizens NOT subject to deporation. They knew all these things going in. And one must assume they planned for them. (If they didn't plan, whose fault is that?)

So, what did this man and his wife plan would happen to their U.S. kids if and when they (the parents) got busted and deported? What plans did they make about what should happen to the kids? The kids are 3 and 4 years old now. They are U.S. citizens and have the legal right to stay in this country. And they also have the legal right to go with their parents back to the parents' home country.

The parents knew going in, that their own deportation was possible and legal... and even just. WHAT DID THEY PLAN FOR THEIR KIDS if that were to happen to them?

Where does anyone get the idea that the government is responsible for the kids?

The parents are responsible for their kids. What have they planned?

[Nukeman]

This really is not a difficult problem.. The children STAY with the parents, that does NOT mean they give up their US citizenship. It only means until they are able to support themselves they are like EVERY other child. They stay with their parents. If that is in another country than so be it.

I really do not understand the problem. If a parent robs a bank do we as a society care what happens to their children?? Why the special treatment for children of law breaking illegals??

[bingster]

A hypothetical question... except it's not hypothetical. This has already happened many times: illegal aliens get deported after having kids here. What happens to the kids?

An adult man crosses the border illegally, and lives here. He marries someone, say another illegal alien. They have kids here. The kids are U.S. citizens under the current interpretation of the 14th amendment, since they were born on U.S. soil.

Then the man (and maybe his wife) get busted by ICE, proven to be illegal aliens (which they in fact are), and get listed for deportation.

What happens to the kids?

The kids are U.S. citizens, no doubt about it. ICE has no grounds whatever for deporting them. But the parents are unquestionable illegal aliens, and the law is clear, the parents must be deported. Must the family be broken up? Who says so?

I've hear some people protest that it's inhuman for ICE to separate the kids (who are, say, 3 and 4 years old by now) from their parents. But is it ICE who is actually doing that?

This man knew before he ever came here, that he was breaking U.S. law, and was subject to deportation if caught. And his wife, if she is also an illegal alien, knew the same about herself. And when they were making kids here on U.S. soil and delivering them, they knew the same was still true.

It's not ICE who is planning to split up this family. It is the man and his wife, knowing that he and she might be booted out at any time for breaking U.S. immigration law, and that any kids they produced while living illegally in America, would be citizens NOT subject to deporation. They knew all these things going in. And one must assume they planned for them. (If they didn't plan, whose fault is that?)

So, what did this man and his wife plan would happen to their U.S. kids if and when they (the parents) got busted and deported? What plans did they make about what should happen to the kids? The kids are 3 and 4 years old now. They are U.S. citizens and have the legal right to stay in this country. And they also have the legal right to go with their parents back to the parents' home country.

The parents knew going in, that their own deportation was possible and legal... and even just. WHAT DID THEY PLAN FOR THEIR KIDS if that were to happen to them?

Where does anyone get the idea that the government is responsible for the kids?

The parents are responsible for their kids. What have they planned?

I think it's a pretty good question and would be interested in what ICE says about it. What do they do in this circumstance? I imagine, they just deport all of them, but I don't know.

[WiccanLiberal]

Simple answer. The kids actually have dual citizenship - US because of where they were born and their parent's country (if you as a US citizen give birth in say, France, your kid is a US citizen from birth regardless of where they were born). So, send the kids with mom and dad and allow them to return at age 18 when they can work or go to college or whatever.

[gabosaurus]

This really is not a difficult problem.. The children STAY with the parents, that does NOT mean they give up their US citizenship. It only means until they are able to support themselves they are like EVERY other child. They stay with their parents. If that is in another country than so be it.

I really do not understand the problem. If a parent robs a bank do we as a society care what happens to their children?? Why the special treatment for children of law breaking illegals??

When adults with children are sent to prison, the kids are placed with relatives or sent to foster care. I doubt you want this to happen to the children of illegals.
But I agree that kids should always stay with their parents.

What the government needs to do is change the "anchor baby" law. It won't happen, though.

[logroller]

This really is not a difficult problem.. The children STAY with the parents, that does NOT mean they give up their US citizenship. It only means until they are able to support themselves they are like EVERY other child. They stay with their parents. If that is in another country than so be it.


I really do not understand the problem. If a parent robs a bank do we as a society care what happens to their children?? Why the special treatment for children of law breaking illegals??
Not that i disagree they should accompany their parent (primary caregiver) to the caregiver's legal residence, i do, but your analogy doesn't support you position; if a parent robs a bank, we don't send their kids to prison with them. They'd go to foster care until such time as the parent could again care for them. I suppose the foreign parent could relinquish parental rights and have their citizen child stay here, but I don't believe a child should be utilized as a so-called "anchor". If the opportunities provided are of paramount importance, then leaving the child in the care of another should be acceptable; conversely, if raising that child oneself is more important, then raise them where the parent legally resides. We shouldn't have to forsake our law to placate a parent's refusal to make a prudent sacrifice for the welfare of their own child.

[bingster]

When adults with children are sent to prison, the kids are placed with relatives or sent to foster care. I doubt you want this to happen to the children of illegals.
But I agree that kids should always stay with their parents.

What the government needs to do is change the "anchor baby" law. It won't happen, though.

There is no "anchor baby" law. It's the 14th amendment and, well,..... good luck with that.

[logroller]

When adults with children are sent to prison, the kids are placed with relatives or sent to foster care. I doubt you want this to happen to the children of illegals.
But I agree that kids should always stay with their parents.

What the government needs to do is change the "anchor baby" law. It won't happen, though.
It's not about what I want; its about what the parent wants given the reality of their illegal residence in this country. I don't fault them for wanting a better life for their child, I want that too; but I can't go out and break the law and expect special treatment owed to my child's citizenship. Sorry. Parenthood is a personal choice, not a public one-- it requires personal sacrifice, not a public sacrifice.

[Voted4Reagan]

If the Parents broke the law coming here...

Send all of them back.

[tailfins]

If the Parents broke the law coming here...

Send all of them back.

You can't deport US citizens. The only legal hard line solution would be take the children and place them for adoption.

[Voted4Reagan]

You can't deport US citizens. The only legal hard line solution would be take the children and place them for adoption.

Send them back till they are 18yo

[taft2012]

There's a pretty simple answer to the question....

What would Mexico do if a foreign couple entered their country illegally, bore a child, and then remained in the country illegally. We should just do what they'd do.

[Little-Acorn]

BTW, what if the illegal alien has an adult brother who is a legal U.S. citizen, living in the states? Could that brother and his wife take the kids in?

But my whole point here is, shouldn't it be UP TO THE PARENTS what happens to their own kids? Within the bounds of the law, of course... and the parents knew what those bounds were, before they ever produced any kids.

Some might say it was pretty bad planning on the parents' part, to bring kids into a situation like that. But they did it, later they got caught, and now they're sitting in an ICE cell as the law requires (and has always required), waiting for deportation.

Well, parents, your kids are (and always have been) YOUR responsibility. What do you plan to have happen to them, now that you're busted? If you hadn't made any plans... hadn't you better make some in a big hurry, now?

And whose fault is it that you're now in a big hurry? Again, you knew all the laws about this, going in.

[Little-Acorn]

Many different answers in this thread, lots of discussion.

But one thing is coming through loud and clear from it all:

It is the parents' responsibility what happens to their U.S.-born kids when they (parents) are deported.

The parents are the ones who decide what will happen to their kids. Not the U.S. government.

Some parents might choose to bring their kids with them, back to the parent's country of origin. Others might choose to leave their U.S. born kids in the United States, in the care of relative or friends or etc.

And a few irresponsible parents might simply abandon their own children when they (parents) get deported. Such an act is horrible and neglectful (to say the least), but it happens. And again it is the choice of the parents, not of the U.S. government.

When parents abandon their own kids, those kids often wind up as wards of the state. This is true of parents being deported, and also of parents who are not being deported but who are simply dreadful, irresponsible parents.

The point to be made here is:

IN NO CASE IS THE "SPLITTING UP OF FAMILIES", BEING DONE BY THE U.S. GOVERNMENT.
IT IS THE CHOICE OF THE PARENTS, EVERY TIME.

We all need to keep this in mind, for the next time that illegal-alien advocates start trying to tell us that, by deporting illegal aliens, "Oh my God you are breaking up their families!!!"

Sorry, but no. Mom and Dad are breaking up their own families, by having kids in the U.S. while violating U.S. law in a way that requires them (parents) to be deported.

And even then, their families are NOT being broken up. Unless Mom and Dad decide not to take their kids with them. And that is completely Mom and Dad's choice - not the decision of the U.S. government.

Keep it in mind for the coming scream-and-lie fest over the treatment of Illegal Aliens. Because I'll bet you dollars to donuts, that the usual hysterical advocates will try to claim that the U.S. government is "breaking up their families", when it isn't the government's decision at all: it's Mom and Dad's voluntary choice, every step of the way.

[Robert A Whit]

My hunch is the parents take them back to the country of birth of the parents. At least were i say in a country and had children, i would take them back home were i not a citizen of the USA.

[Little-Acorn]

My hunch is the parents take them back to the country of birth of the parents. At least were i say in a country and had children, i would take them back home were i not a citizen of the USA.

That's the obvious choice, and I'd imagine that's what many illegal-alien parents do when caught. The U.S.-born kids are U.S. citizens of course, and have done nothing wrong themselves. ICE has no reaon for forcibly deporting them, as they can the parents. But if the parents WANT to take them with them, obviously they can.

But there may be some illegal-alien parents who have relatives living legally in the U.S. They might want to leave their kids with those relatives, or make some other similar arrangements. Again the kids are U.S. citizens, there's no reason for the government to FORCE them to leave.

And then there may be a few unspeakable horrible and neglectful parents, who choose to simply abandon their own kids and do nothing as they themselves get deported. (Legal-resident parents occasionally do this too, even though they're not getting deported.) In that case the kids usually become wards of the state until they are old enough to be on their own (age 18 or 21 or whatever).

But in every case, it is the PARENTS who are deciding what happens to their kids, not the government.

[Robert A Whit]

http://www.debatepolicy.com/images/debate_policy/misc/quote_icon.png Originally Posted by Robert A Whit http://www.debatepolicy.com/images/debate_policy/buttons/viewpost-right.png (http://www.debatepolicy.com/showthread.php?p=633315#post633315)

My hunch is the parents take them back to the country of birth of the parents. At least were i say in a country and had children, i would take them back home were i not a citizen of the USA.



That's the obvious choice, and I'd imagine that's what many illegal-alien parents do when caught. The U.S.-born kids are U.S. citizens of course, and have done nothing wrong themselves. ICE has no reaon for forcibly deporting them, as they can the parents. But if the parents WANT to take them with them, obviously they can.

But there may be some illegal-alien parents who have relatives living legally in the U.S. They might want to leave their kids with those relatives, or make some other similar arrangements. Again the kids are U.S. citizens, there's no reason for the government to FORCE them to leave.

And then there may be a few unspeakable horrible and neglectful parents, who choose to simply abandon their own kids and do nothing as they themselves get deported. (Legal-resident parents occasionally do this too, even though they're not getting deported.) In that case the kids usually become wards of the state until they are old enough to be on their own (age 18 or 21 or whatever).

But in every case, it is the PARENTS who are deciding what happens to their kids, not the government.

Another thing to consider. If the parents leave the kids with relatives in the USA, it sure seems logical to me that they would flee the country of origin as fast as possible to reunite with the kids.

So, booting out the parents may be a temporary fix.

[Little-Acorn]

Another thing to consider. If the parents leave the kids with relatives in the USA, it sure seems logical to me that they would flee the country of origin as fast as possible to reunite with the kids.

So, booting out the parents may be a temporary fix.

The parents already did that, before they were even parents. I wouldn't be surprised if they did it again.

Which is why the four things I listed in other threads, have to be done.

[Syrenn]

In my opinion any child born of an illegal should not get a birth certificate, but a certificate of a live birth. It should NOT be automatically made a us citizen just based on where the mother gave birth.

we should be rounding up as many pregnant illegals as we can and force them back home to have their children.

if they have taken advantage of our hospitality and gotten medical care for the birth... both mother and child should be in the next plain back to whatever shit hole they came from.

now... i dont think children should be separated from their parents. So if a parent is being deported, they can take their child with them or give them up for adoption. if that child wants to come back with its of legal age.. then it can come back...without the mother.