Issue of the Week: Illegal Immigration

1. What happens if illegal immigrants have children that were born in the U.S.? Are they also considered illegal?
I've learned that the children who are born under illegal immigrants are born as U.S. citizens. What happens to them varies as I read in a article. Some children live with other family members, other unlucky children are placed in foster care. Some move with their parents to their parents' country of origin. I find it important to know if these children are properly sheltered and raised correctly after losing there parents. My only question raised is, Do some parents get to stay to take care of their children? Because the Urban Institute says that immigration laws should take parental status into account and argue hardship to American-born children before immigration judges. So perhaps they have a chance to stay.

2. Would there be a case in which illegal immigrants are allowed to stay in the U.S.?
This is similar to the question I raised in my response to question one. I found out that there are cases in which an illegal immigrant may stay. An  immigrant can apply for waivers from deportation if they can prove that deporting them would pose an undue hardship to his or her spouse, children, or parents. They could also apply to not only to remain in the United States but also obtain LPR (Lawful Permanant Resident) status. But family ties, good moral character, and the threat of hardship are important in deicding if they can stay or not. Only a few number can pull these off and I believe if they have been here for a long time I think they should be allowed to stay.

3. Are illegal immigrants that great of a threat to our country?
I found an article online stating that illegal immigration is not just a border issue, its a national issue affecting every large city and almost every small town in the country. I found out that it was a $300 billion a year industry, combining the interests of multinational corporations with those of drug cartels and Latino street gangs. Caught inbetween are American communities and the American way of life. So I believe that illegal immigrants do have some what of a threat to our country.

Sources:
http://washingtonindependent.com/103597/what-happens-to-children-when-their-parents-are-detained-or-deported

http://www.enotes.com/everyday-law-encyclopedia/deportation

http://www.newswithviews.com/DeWeese/tom94.htm