Across Texas, 60,000 babies of noncitizens get U.S. birthright

Sunday, August 8, 2010
By SHERRY JACOBSON
The Dallas Morning News

As Republican members of Congress press for changes to the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, preventing automatic citizenship for babies born to illegal immigrants, opponents insist the debate is not really about babies.

Instead, they say it is about politics and votes – not fixing the immigration system.

Still, the debate could resonate in Texas, where not only 1.5 million illegal immigrants are estimated to reside but at least 60,000 babies are added to their households annually. the rest

Between 2001 and 2009, births to illegal immigrant women totaled 542,152 in Texas alone.