[Lurking Libertarian]

While we’re solving the problems of closing the borders, we should deal with the problem of “anchor babies.” Alien women close to giving birth are risking their lives and their children by trying to sneak into the US to give birth here. The baby is then an American citizen, which gives preference to the parents seeking legal status.

You're only half right. Under current law (and I won't debate with you whether that's constitutionally required), children of illegal aliens are citizens, but it is no longer true that these "anchor babies" give preference to their parents in seeking legal status. That was the law from 1965 to 1995, but under an amendment to the statute, citizens under 18 cannot sponsor relatives for family unification. So the illegal parents can give the child up for adoption, or they can take the child with them when they are deported (in which case the kid can come back to the U.S. at age 18).

[Congressman Billybob]

Thank you for your correction. I did not know that the "anchor baby" problem had been solved. It remains, however, that the child IS an American by birth, unlike a baby who is born at an embassy who would be a citizen of the country of the embassy, depending on that nation's laws.

John / Billybob