Posted on 12/08/2006 7:28:47 PM PST by dennisw
Despite being trapped in a cramped airplane thousands of feet in the air, a pregnant Mexican woman en route to Chicago found herself in the right place at the right time -- giving birth to a healthy baby girl with the help of a fellow passenger. The 42-year-old woman gave birth to a 7-pound, 8-ounce girl approximately a half hour before the plane touched down at O'Hare just before midnight Wednesday, said Eve Rodriguez, Chicago Fire Department assistant director of media affairs.
Baby 'alert, looking around' The woman, a Mexican citizen, was on a Mexicana Airlines flight from Guadalajara when she went into labor. "I was kind of surprised how calm everyone was," said Lori Perez who, along with fellow paramedic Enoch Benson of O'Hare's Rescue Station 3, boarded the plane to take mother and baby to Resurrection Medical Center.
"Mom was in good spirits, she said there was a doctor on board and that she wasn't in a lot of pain."
Perez said that although she didn't catch the obstetrician's name, his handiwork was good.
"The baby girl was not really crying; she was alert and looking around," Perez said.
Airspace matters Mexicana Airlines officials did not return calls to explain whether the woman had presented a doctor's authorization to fly six months or more into a pregnancy, as its own rules require. Whether the baby girl is the United States' newest citizen remains to be seen, according to Maria Elena Garcia-Upson, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services spokeswoman.
An immigration law provision makes a child born in airspace over U.S. territory eligible for citizenship.
But if the parents decide to file an application, officials will investigate whether the child was born in Mexican air-space or over international waters.
"The parents can go ahead and pursue citizenship for the child if they so wish," said Garcia-Upson.
"But we don't decide on cases like this in a public forum. Facts need to be determined first."
The plane was the national carrier of Mexico and subject to Mexican regulations. Neither the baby nor the parents were "resident" in any U.S. state (a requirement of the 14th Amendment) at the time of birth.
I don't know, I wouldn't mind 20 million Brits as long as they weren't socialists.
While not case law, the State Dept's opinion is contained in "7 FAM 1116.1-3 Airspace". Note that it does not cite previous case law, but simply states that it is "obvious" without any supporting documentation.
Yes they did that to my hubby a long time ago. He was going to jamaica and they asked if a doc was on board. Some woman was having a panic attack! He had to sit next to her the rest of the flight!
However the plane was over US territory when she was born … first breathed … therefore, the first breath was in the US.
Yeah if they came univited, jammed up the ER's, worked under the table, created a social services crisis in many areas, jammed the prisons, most of us would feel the same way about them as we would any other illegals.
Wrong as already pointed out on prior thread. I thought you had some updated argument. Instead I find it was just hot air.
I guess so. But at least they wouldn't be bombing us, threatening us and cluttering up our gyms and public places praying incessantly.
Besides I can't see the Brits doing that.
For those that don't believe the SUBJECT TO THE JURUSDICTION OF part eliminates visiting foreigners...I have heard many times that the author of that particular piece of law spelled out just that..in other writings ...
it guarantees citizens children will automatically be citizens..
Kudos to your hubby for being available to aid unwell passengers at a time of emergency.
Please ... cite case law.
Prosecuted and the baby placed in foster care???
You criticize me for cheap shots. But man, you would obliterate this woman and her child because you think she was "reckless".
This woman, Mexican or whatever, is not the first and won't be the last to have a baby on an airplane.
But nobody pauses to think, "how wonderful", the baby is fine. They move right along to their usual accusations and suspicions. Because she was a Mexican, because she had a baby on our soil {arguably}. An automatic assumption that trumps any other thought. Without reflection.
And in your case, without any mercy. Put the baby in foster care/prosecute her. YOu are a piece of work.
Yup. And thats why international airports are "Ports of Entry". That's why there are "international" zones at airports, seaports, etc where you pay no tax.
A person is not "in the United States" until they have cleared the Port of Entry.
The Mexican airliner is Mexican soil. She was in Mexico when the baby was born. She was not on U.S. soil or even legally admitted to visit the country at the time of the birth.
In the old days when travel agents booked flights, most would register the name under "Dr.", and it could be picked out of a flight manifest, or whatever they call the passenger list. The flight attendant could them go to them and ask whether they could help. I suppose it could work the same buying tix on this thing they call the "Internet"....
Aside from the fact that your local dog catcher could buy a ticket entitled "Dr. Joe Schmoe".
Were the airplane's windows rolled down? I would imagine that all the air inside the cabin was Mexican air.
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