Study: More children of illegal immigrants being born in US; they face high odds of poverty

KPLR-TV / The Associated Press ^ | April 14, 2009 | Hope Yen

[2ndDivisionVet]

Growing numbers of children of illegal immigrants are being born in this country, and they are nearly twice as likely to live in poverty than those with American-born parents, a report says.

The study released Tuesday by the Pew Hispanic Center highlights a growing dilemma in the immigration debate: Illegal immigrants' children born in the United States are American citizens, yet they struggle in poverty and uncertainty along with parents who fear deportation, toil largely in low-wage jobs and face layoffs in an ailing economy.

The analysis by Pew, a nonpartisan research organization, found that the nation's estimated 11.9 million illegal immigrants made up 5.4 percent of the U.S. work force, primarily in lower-paying farming, construction or janitorial work.

[2ndDivisionVet]

"...illegal immigrants' children account for one of every 15 students in kindergarten through 12th grade."

I'm betting even that's a low-ball number.

[Ev Reeman]

Federal regulations regarding illegals must be followed and enforced. Our southern border must be protected from illegals. Illegals cost our country a minimum of 10 billion dollars a year in goods and services - ten billion which could go to help our legal citizens!

[boomop1]

More of the great society cradle to grave dependency from the democRat party, exactly what they desire.

[sten]

poverty == in need of social program == democrat voter for life

there is no doubt why dems support illegals.

the same can be said about single moms and infidelity. kids from broken homes, however they got there... death, divorce, single mom... have a 40% chance of ending up in poverty (according to a stat i remember from the bell curve).

the political makeup of the US boils down to a simple divider. the social program.

realizing that, you would quickly understand why the dems promote so many destructive behaviors. it’s not about ‘empowering’ the individual... it’s about convincing people to do things that will make them end up needing a social program.

[twigs]

Most of the illegal Hispanics I’ve met don’t live in poverty for several reasons: they live in large groups, so rent is low and they don’t pay income taxes, so they have more disposable income. They do tend to work hard and children have large, extended loving families. However, education is not a priority; working is. But I don’t see this as sustainable. Once they receive amnesty and have to pay income taxes and begin to want to live in more privacy like Americans, and find themselves not moving up career ladders because of a lack of higher education, even a high school diploma, they will have problems. I see this as a larger future problem than it is currently. At least here in SE PA.

[VR-21]

It would be asking a lot I’m sure, to suggest that these problems result from our failure to control our borders and immigration. Ambitious politicians, greedy business interests and ideologue judges who thwart enforcement have done terrible damage to our country.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

They faced higher odds of poverty in their country-of-origin.

[Frantzie]

We face higher odds of poverty paying for their endless benefits.

[PubliusMM]

The ‘anchor baby’ issue is a large element of the illegal alien problem with which we are dealing. This will likely take a Constitutional Amendment to redefine ‘citizen’, I’d say, but it needs to be done.

It’s time to take back the country.

[353FMG]

“..they face high odds of poverty”

Their poverty will be shared by the majority of American citizens.

[Frantzie]

They do not live in poverty because you are paying for their healthcare, education for their kids, food stamps, housing vouchers and ENDLESS other freebies.

[Cheetahcat]

Federal regulations regarding illegals must be followed and enforced. Our southern border must be protected from illegals. Illegals cost our country a minimum of 10 billion dollars a year in goods and services - ten billion which could go to help our legal citizens!

10 Billion would be only Texas maybe!!

[kittymyrib]

They don’t finish high school and have a booming illegitimate birth rate. Every business and individual who hires illegals should have a penalty assessed for the welfare and social services being sucked up by their cheap labor.

[ßuddaßudd]

Almost nothing worse than being poor in someone else’s country.
Why am I grinning?

[twigs]

Not the ones I know. They have their own “shadow” underground society and receive a lot of services there. There are some non-profit health care facilities that they use here. Yes, they would use hospitals for childbirth, but none of them I know receive housing vouchers or food stamps. Not here.

[wac3rd]

Illegal aliens bringing a baby into the world on US soil gives them 10x the lifestyle of being in Mexico...on our dime...

The term “poverty” is relative, being “poor” by US standards is “middle class” in Mexico.

The media is grabbing every Kleenex for Dopey-Changey’s Amnesty push....

[EEDUDE]

“They don’t finish high school and have a booming illegitimate birth rate.”

We have enough of our own citizens that are behaving that way.

To voluntarily import more is insanity. It almost guarantees a rise in the poverty rate.

[jimt]

10 Billion would be only Texas maybe!!

State Senator Dan Patrick estimated it at $36 billion yesterday. Just Texas.

[Cheetahcat]

State Senator Dan Patrick estimated it at $36 billion yesterday. Just Texas.

Holy Crap !!!!!!!!!!! what 600++ Billion Nation wide?

[I Buried My Guns]

It is my legal opinion that the offspring of illegal aliens are thermselves illegal aliens and must be remanded to their (parents') country post haste.

The last thing we need are more welfare sponges, even if they happen to have big sympathy-inducing doe eyes.

[OneTimeComment]

Is it really “poverty” once you add in their income from welfare programs?

Medicaid: $5,000+

Section 8: $10,000+

Food stamps, WIC, free cell phone and minutes program, energy assistance, etc. Don’t have time to list them all, as I must get back to work. Some of us don’t even get to live on what we EARN OURSELVES, while others get tens of thousands of dollars annually that have been taken from us.

[Rastus]

they face high odds of poverty

Good. If it's bad enough, maybe they'll cross into Canada. See ya.

[HiJinx]

(Illegal Immigrant) Women and Children Hardest Hit...Ping!

[GOPGuide]

*Cough* The Bell Curve *Cough*

[CottonBall]

They do tend to work hard and children have large, extended loving families.

Stats show that illegitimate births are higher in illegals than in other groups, so your generalization is just that. And working hard at a very low paying job won't net much money, no matter how much labor is put in. As the Dilbert cartoon says, it's working smarter that counts.

And from what I've seen here, although some of the parents do work (but pay no taxes AND get handouts on top of that!), most of the offspring get an entitlement attitude immediately and expect free handouts. We are already paying for their education (which they waste), health care, foodstamps, welfare, public housing. And to many of them - this isn't nearly enough!

[CottonBall]

10 Billion would be only Texas maybe!!

I've read that 10 Billion a year is how much illegals are costing CA alone. The deficit here is supposedly going to be taken care of by taking the citizens to death - and will raise just about that 10 Billion. So, the working citizens are having to pay, pay, and pay for all the illegals - even more now after the Apr 1 tax increases.

[Cheetahcat]

“I've read that 10 Billion a year is how much illegals are costing CA alone. The deficit here is supposedly going to be taken care of by taking the citizens to death - and will raise just about that 10 Billion. So, the working citizens are having to pay, pay, and pay for all the illegals - even more now after the Apr 1 tax increases.”

I think we should start with Liens and seize the property of the likes of Kennedy,Jorge and the entire DNC for starters ,why should we pay for their sins and Love affair for those criminals who Hate and abuse this country.

[CottonBall]

Sounds fair. More than fair!

[CottonBall]

Not the ones I know. They have their own “shadow” underground society and receive a lot of services there. There are some non-profit health care facilities that they use here. Yes, they would use hospitals for childbirth, but none of them I know receive housing vouchers or food stamps. Not here.

How large a sampling pool are you using? It's better to rely on state numbers rather than just a few people you are acquainted with. Again, you are generalizing based a few people you know. I get this all the time from libs who are proamnesty. They know 3 people who have been nice to them and generalize that every illegal must be the same. And completely ignore the national statistics on crime & illegitimacy. Not to mention our own laws.

In most states, even though illegals are not legally entitled to ANY taxpayer-funded service other than education and emergency health care, social workers do not even ask about legal status. I know this is true of CA and TX. If your state does, then that is great. All of them should. It's OUR money, after all (taxpayers).