Anchor Baby Term Enflames Critics

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By Laura Kennedy

Story Published: Feb 13, 2011 at 6:50 PM MDT

Story Updated: Feb 14, 2011 at 2:11 PM MDT

BILLINGS - Montana House Bill 392 aims at redefining citizenship in Montana to exclude anyone born to non-U.S. citizens.

When introducing the bill, Representative James Knox described these individuals as "anchor babies." "The term is to describe the abuse of the 14th Amendment, when the child is born here, federally they are granted citizenship," State Rep. James Knox (R-Billings) said.

"I think that the law is not only a bad idea and not only driven by xenophobia and false ideas on how our immigration process works, but it's also extremely unconstitutional," Immigration Attorney Shahid Haque-Hausrath said.

The Helena lawyer said he was born to non-U.S. Citizens. He said the term "anchor baby" has been used since the genesis of the United States and is meant to degrade children of immigrants. "The term 'anchor babies' is one of the most offensive and pejorative terms being thrown around when people are talking about immigrants. It's based on the false belief that when an immigrant has a baby in the United States that that somehow prevents the parent from being removed from the United States and gives the parent some form of immigration status and that's not true," Haque-Hausrath said.

Knox said he feels the term is not offensive because it does not refer to a particular group. "It has nothing to do with any race, nothing derogatory, but it's the link that keeps a family here in the United States that if it wasn't for that quote anchor or the child that was born they would be deported back to where they came from," Knox said.

However children cannot aid their parents in obtaining citizenship until they turn 21. "I have represented clients in this type of situation and there really is no relief to a parent who is undocumented even if their child is born here and is a U.S. Citizen. What we've seen is there's a large number of U.S. citizens who live abroad because their parents were deported and they had to leave the country along with their parents," Haque-Hausrath said.

Knox feels an improved guest worker program would prevent what he calls the abuse of the 14th Amendment. House Bill 392 sits at the committee level in the Montana House of Representatives.

Republicans in the House see possible opposition from Governor Schweitzer if the bill makes it to his desk.

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Lulu said on Monday, Feb 14 at 8:32 PM

So how does this bill fix the economy and create jobs. It just means more taxpayer dollars will be spent in court. I guess it creates jobs if you are a trial lawyer.

ok people said on Monday, Feb 14 at 4:52 PM

if the children are born on us soil the parents stay without becoming citizens so the term may be approiate if they are not citizens we dont see news we sent imigrants home all we hear is how to or how can we send them home well send them home cheaper than prosion tax or welfare

Chosin said on Monday, Feb 14 at 1:19 PM

how can libs complain about offensive terms, given all the ones they are prone to throwing around?

anchor said on Monday, Feb 14 at 11:01 AM

Tie em all to chains and throw em back.

aqnchor said on Monday, Feb 14 at 10:40 AM

appropriate , tie them to one and let em go.

saying said on Monday, Feb 14 at 10:21 AM

And this too shall pass.

Dakka said on Monday, Feb 14 at 10:05 AM

also, i find it so amusing that liberals throw around the terms "teabagger," "teaklan,"rethuglicans, and so on, and then somehow belive they have the right to b**** about people using offensive terms...

Dakka said on Monday, Feb 14 at 10:01 AM

so easily offended anymore. oh, and you really need to let go, man. that fight was over a long time ago. you lost.

Chief Idea said on Monday, Feb 14 at 8:46 AM

teabaggers need to remember only Indians belong here

yeah said on Monday, Feb 14 at 8:04 AM

and equally offensive is the term hangnail. my great grand pappy was hanged for stealin a box of nails to feed his family. you can imagine the pain and sufferin i go through when i hear that word

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