H.R. 182BY ROCIO PEREZ AND FELICIA YIP

Child citizen protection act

Official summary

Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act, in the case of an alien subject to removal, deportation, or exclusion who is the parent of a U.S. citizen child, to authorize an immigration judge to decline to order such removal if the judge determines that such action is against the child's best interests. States that such discretion shall not apply with respect to an alien whom the judge determines: (1) is excludable or deportable on security grounds; or (2) has engaged in sex trafficking or severe forms of trafficking in persons.

Background info

Introduced in 01/05/09It has only been introduced (it has not been

passed buy the house nor the senate)Referred to the house committee on judiciary Sponsored by representative Jose Serrano (D-

NY)

Public Opinion

PRO• Should illegal aliens, who are parents of US citizen minors, be deported?

Andy Selepak, writer at Accuracy in Media.org, in a June 5, 2007 Accuracy in Media.org article entitled "$6 Billion a Year for Mexican 'Anchor Babies?'," wrote:"These families knew exactly what they were doing when they came to the U.S. and had a child born on U.S. soil. And we know and understand exactly what they're doing. For illegal immigrants, having a child born in the U.S. becomes the Golden Ticket to staying here in this country... Having a child born in the U.S. does not prevent the illegal alien mother or father from being deported. But this rarely occurs, especially for the illegal alien mother. The real solution is for the illegal alien parents to return to their native countries with their children."June 5, 2007 - Andy Selepak

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in a May 20, 2007 Washington Post article titled "Poster Child, In Tomasa Mendez, the Immigration Debate Now Has a Very Public Face," stated:

• "You should look back to the decision the parents made in coming to the country without legal status. Our job is to enforce the laws."May 20, 2007 - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (USICE)

You Don't Speak For Me, a U.S.-based Hispanic group against illegal immigration, in a Feb. 9, 2007 press release titled "Mexican Legislators Will Travel to Chicago to Visit Elvira Arellano," offered the following:

• "Elvira Arellano [illegal alien mother of U.S. citizen child] is also a testament to the unwillingness of the United States government to uphold the rule of law and enforce its own immigration laws. This failure has undermined our sovereignty while harming the interests of countless Americans... Children are not human shield... It was his mother who put the boy in a difficult position when she knowingly broke multiple laws in this country. Whenever parents are held accountable for breaking the law their children are inevitably harmed. We all regret when that happens, but no justice system in the world can allow parents to hide behind their kids."Feb. 9, 2007 - You Don't Speak For Me

CONAug. 21, 2007 - Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) Stephany Gabbard, Registered Nurse and Certified Legal Nurse Consultant, and Frosty Wooldridge, MA, Writer and freelance journalist, in a July 6, 2004 article titled "Anchor Babies: Born in the USA, The Abuse Of The 14th Amendment," retrieved from www.FrostyWooldridge.com, stated:

• "Our patients are 99 percent pregnant illegal alien women who have broken United States immigration law to birth an American citizen child. This will be their families, entry ticket into the United States... Pregnant Third World women have discovered that the only thing they have to do is cross the U.S.--Mexico border... Our politicians and elites wink at this blatant law breaking and do nothing. The colonization of our country continues with the cooperation of our government. That means your senator and representative aid this illegal baby invasion. None dare call it treason. Most Americans mistakenly trust their politicians to do the right thing... In addition, the happy family is entitled to welfare benefits. And, illegal alien parents who have children born in the U.S. are seldom deported. That's why their children are called 'anchor babies' - they anchor their families securely in the USA. It doesn't have to be this way."July 6, 2004 - Stephany Gabbard, RN

Families for Freedom, an immigration advocacy group based in New York, in a June 26, 2007 report titled "Deportation 101: From Raids to Deportation," offered the following:

• "Every year, nearly 200,000 non-citizens —many with kids who are U.S. citizens— are deported and torn away from their families even when a judge thinks they deserve to stay in the U.S. to help raise and support those families. In 1996, our immigration system made deportation a mandatory punishment for many non-citizens... judges do not have a say in deciding if deportation is fair... Families must choose between splitting up, resulting in more single parent households and psychological and financial hardship, or forcing their U.S. citizen children into deportation with them. These American children may have to start over in a country with a new language, fewer resources and an uncertain future. America’s immigration laws force American children to lose their parent, or their country. Mandatory deportation is a life sentence of exile. Such a severe 'one size fits all' punishment cannot be the basis of our immigration system."June 26, 2007 - Families For Freedom

Video

Support

Support for this bill includes groups like: Families for Freedom (FFF), a New York-based

multi-ethnic defense network by and for immigrants facing and fighting deportation. FFF's primary focus is to keep families together.

Citizen Children Neglected and Deserted in Wake of Immigration Raids

Nancy Peloski Unitarian Universalist Association of

Congregations Immigration Equality

Opposition

Unfortunately, even all the interest groups for the bill have not been able to bring this bill to further discussion and so there is little to no opposition.

Political Parties

Republican Party Democratic Party

Most Republicans, such as Michele Bachman, Jeb Bush, and Herman Cain; think that immigration should be stopped no matter the children. They’ve voted to add double fences, no more visas unless they are specialized workers, and the like.

Most Democrats do not fully support immigration, but ask that illegal aliens should be allowed more hearings, guest workers to be allowed visas, and giving illegals the right to a path to citizenship.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h182/actions_votes

http://www.ontheissues.org/immigration.htmhttp://www.uua.org/immigration/reform/1726

90.shtmlhttp://immigration.procon.org/view.answers.p

hp?questionID=000775http://www.familiesforfreedom.org/http://www.uua.org/immigration/reform/1726

90.shtmlhttp://immigrationimpact.com/2009/03/26/chi

ldren-immigration-raids-urban-institute/