Illegal Immigrant births -- At Your Expense

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/04/07/eveningnews/main4000401.shtml ^ | 4/7/2008 | ?

[television is just wrong]

VIDEOSPHOTOS

Paying For Immigrant Births Pregnant women from Mexico are crossing the border to have their babies in the U.S. Byron Pitts reports on the debate over who should foot the bill for the children of illegal immigrants. | Share/Embed

(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.

MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

[television is just wrong]

And this is a Surprise? We wonder why things cost so much. Why our taxes are so high, why we get no break on anything. Look at that woman and her child we just bought and paid for...

They steal the resources and food from our own childrens mouths and our government gives it to them. I guess things haven't gotten that bad for everyone here to notice yet..... How many more will it take. It has been 40 years of this crap.

[VeniVidiVici]

My liberal aunt intensely dislikes Democrats for this very reason. She can’t see how they are in bed with the unions (who also back illegal immigration) while her elderly mother has to watch her pennies and forego medical care she deems as too expensive.

This could win it for Republicans in November.

Unfortunately, not with Illegal Immigrant supporter John McCain as the Republican nominee.

[SlapHappyPappy]

Did CBS just hear about this?

[television is just wrong]

oh, open borders McPain? I think not.

[television is just wrong]

what a revelation, huh?

[aquila48]

Why this isn’t a top election issue is beyond me!!

[umgud]

Comprehensive immigration reform won’t solve this problem.

[furquhart]

Because the issue has been successfully racialized and, therefore, mainstream politcians (and voters) don’t want to touch it with a ten foot poll.

The idea that this is going to send people swarming to pull the lever for the GOP is a myth. If it wasn’t, the anti-illegal position would, you know, actually be winning more votes and primaries.

This, this makes me furious. As someone who wants nothing more than to legally immigrate - and who would be a devoted, good, and loyal citizen...

Well, the mildest thing to say is that I wish these people had all died in the desert.

[aquila48]

I’m curious, where are you from?

I myself came from Italy (legally) a long, long time ago - that’s after waiting 9 years to fit in the quota they had at the time.

[iThinkBig]

Don’t worry, we’ll all be broker then the Mexicans in the next five years and they will all go home. Maybe they will let us in to pick their vegetables for a job and a meal but somehow I doubt it.

[levotb]

Exactly, aquila! Hillary had a window, one chance to beat Obama and then McLame-—by changing her position completely on the Invasion and turning on the Invaders! She’d have dissafected conservatives eating out of her hands and a position that neither Obama nor McPain could top. Unfortunately, her leftist advisors felt it was too risky, apparently, to side with patriots over the reconquista groups in her party like La Raza, MALDEF et al. It is one issue—patriotism—she could have rested from McNasty. That window has now closed. Whatta stupid, costly non-move by HRC!

[rabscuttle385]

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

Nice to know why I, as a college student, will be borrowing from the bank next week to pay extra federal and state income taxes due.

[beaversmom]

ping

[television is just wrong]

they steal from you to give to them. isn’lt that special... they also want to give that little baby we own a free education through college cause they feel sorry for that little baby. NOT YOU.

[rabscuttle385]

they steal from you to give to them.

Whenever I talk to liberals about why entitlement spending (primarily direct wealth transfers) is pointless and stupid, they then accuse me of not wanting to help other people. The real problem is that robbing Peter to pay Paul is not really compassion; it's theft, plain and simple.

[television is just wrong]

exactly. we need to demand reparations from Mexico and its’ people...

[nyyankeefan]

and yet one freeper posted a query to me as to why I called them F’n Illegals?????

probably a b. HUSSEIN or piaps supporter!!!

[bcsco]

This is a ping list promoting Immigration Enforcement and Congressional Reform.
If you wish to be added or removed from this ping list, please contact me.

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[GunnyB]

My wife is a Labor & Delivery Nurse - in Virginia. We see the same percentage of illegals born here as in Texas - with the same results: Instant green cards for the parents & citizenship for the kid. The costs are astronomical - especially given that most illegals do not have any pre-natal care at all. Last month my wife attended the birth of twins born to a san salvadorean. No pre-natal care, no idea that she was having twins. The twin were premature, and had to be transported to UVA for a minimum stay of 2 weeks in the NICU. The cost to the taxpayers? Over $250,000 in free medical care. We need to STOP this “born on US soil=citizenship right now!

[aquila48]

That’s what happens when you lead by following polls and focus groups.

She’s and Bill are totally unprincipled, and when you’re running for the democratic primary being for border control just wouldn’t get you any votes or money from the those that control the party - the moveons the DUs the code pinks the unions the reconquista groups, etc. So she’s just following the polls. If she does get the nomination, then she will again follow the polls and make a turn toward the center.