This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
With all the heated debate about illegal immigration, we keep hearing how we need to be compassionate and "avoid tearing families apart." I agree; we should do our utmost to keep families together.
Some illegal immigrants come into our country, give birth to one or several children ("anchor babies") and then claim they have a right to be here because their family now contains a legal resident. How convenient.
The way to approach this dilemma is to consider anchor babies as minors and keep them with their parents or legal guardians until they are of legal age. Therefore, if a family is deported for being here illegally, and they have a child who is a U.S. citizen, the child will be deported with the parents until she is of legal age to return to the country of her birth. At which time she will be welcomed home.
The only way that a minor child would be allowed to stay here without his parents would be if the parents choose to leave him with a legal guardian who is a U.S. citizen.
Nancy C. Roginski
West Point