Nearly 400,000 Children Born To Noncitizen Parents In 2024, Sparking Citizenship Debate

New data reveals that almost 400,000 children were born in the United States in 2024 to noncitizen parents, raising significant concerns about the implications of current birthright citizenship policies. The figures, provided by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), shed light on what critics describe as a systemic abuse of the nation’s immigration laws.

Of the estimated total, approximately 300,000 births were to parents who entered the country illegally, while another 72,000 involved temporary visa holders, including tourists and workers. The children, often referred to as “anchor babies,” automatically receive U.S. citizenship, enabling their families to leverage immigration pathways that many argue circumvent proper legal processes.

Anchor baby policies have long been criticized for creating a loophole that ties entire families to the United States. These children, once they reach adulthood, can sponsor parents and extended family members for green cards, establishing multigenerational residency that may not align with public consensus.

Legal experts and immigration scholars have pointed out that the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment has never been explicitly interpreted by the U.S. Supreme Court in the context of children born to illegal immigrants. Many argue the clause’s original intent was never to extend citizenship to individuals without full allegiance to the United States.

Globally, birthright citizenship policies are rare. Outside of North America, most developed nations, including Australia, France, and New Zealand, require at least one parent to be a citizen for a child to qualify for automatic citizenship. The U.S. remains an outlier, fueling calls for legislative or executive action to address this contentious issue.

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