Tourists coming to America just to have anchor babies

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
1/30/2013
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Problem has spiked in Los Angeles County.

Complaints over the development of a new industry in Los Angeles have skyrocketed as citizens become aware of "birth tourism." Promoted mainly in Asia, women travel to the United States and reside in residential communities long enough to give birth.

Anchor babies are becoming a booming industry in California.

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LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Birth tourism is intended to take advantage of the 14th Amendment, which codifies that any person born in the United States becomes an automatic citizen. Women who want their children to enjoy the perks of U.S. citizenship are traveling to the country specifically to have their babies here.

The hotels are marketed to women overseas, particularly in Asia, with sales pitches focusing on the benefits of American citizenship, including generous social welfare programs and free education. Women are also advised how to evade authorities and avoid suspicion when they travel. Immigration officials are free to bar entry into the country if they do not believe the stated motive for travel.

The practice of birth tourism is spiking in Los Angeles with 60 "maternity hotels" being reported in the past month alone. Typically, these hotels are just houses nestled in residential neighborhoods. The practice isn't illegal either, leaving L.A. County officials to use zoning codes and other complaints to try and shut down the operations.

However, getting past the door to inspect the facilities is a problem. Inspectors are often forced to stand at locked doors, refused entry by the occupants who simple act like they're not home, although they clearly are. Inspectors cannot enter the houses without permission.

At other homes, the occupants insist they do not speak English, which creates a language barrier than makes it difficult for inspectors to do their work.

So far, the county has only been able to shut down just three of the operations.

For now, city officials are sending Cantonese and Mandarin speaking translators to help and they're going after owners with tax code violations. Unless a law is passed to close the loophole, this will be the best they can do.

� 2013, Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.

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Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: maternety hotels, anchor babies, women, birth, tourism

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1 - 3 of 3 Comments

Dana
3 months ago
Kathryn,

Perhaps you don't remember what the 14th amendment entails with regards to citizenship. "Under current law, simply because a child is born on U.S. soil, he or she is entitled to all the benefits that U.S. citizenship entails, including federal welfare benefits and the right to vote. Additionally, when that child turns 21, he or she will be able to sponsor his or her parents, and other family members, to the United States under the family reunification provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act." (excerpted from http://www.cis.org/articles/1993/back793.html).

Do you really want nations of those who hate the U.S.A. sending pregnant women here to have their children so they can be raised in the foreign nation only to return and claim citizenship, adding to the entitlement financial burden and vote with an agenda for the destruction of this country? This isn't about welcoming unwanted children.
Robert
3 months ago
Dear Kathryn,

Soon your family's breadwinner will be working to support millions of additional democratic voters on government doll. When they vote for pro-choice, pro-gay marriage, against your family's religious freedom you may wake an finally say, " all this Social Justice stuff isn't what it seeems to be."

When America goes bankrupt, gay marriage is the law of the land, and unborn children are killed because they are the wrong sex, how will God judge the U.S.A.? UhOh we are almost there!!!!
Kathryn
3 months ago
I'm not sure I quite understand the tone of this article. Are you simply sharing information, or criticizing the practice?

I would like to believe that we are all Catholic before we're American, and that politics would not cloud our respect for human dignity. America is a land of opportunity for all people, and we have always welcomed immigrants who are looking for a better life, a less oppressed life, a life full of the opportunities that we all deserve as human beings. Calling these precious miracles "anchor babies" as if their lives were somehow not nearly as important as a child born to an American citizen is deeply offensive.

We are citizens of the human race, and everyone regardless of political boundaries and geographical location is our brother, our sister, and we should love them as such regardless of what country they were born in. We should be thankful to have been born in a country that others want to flock to.

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