My ggggggg-grandfather was one of the founding "pobladeros" of the city of Los Angeles. He and his family trekked from Sinaloa, Mexico through the hot desert to come to nothing to found and build the new town. I know they didn't have green cards, lol, they were sent by order of the king of Spain ; )
Eva Longoria is involved in immigration reform, and told a story on the Letterman show several years back. It seems that she and her family, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc., lived across the border in Mexico. One morning they woke up and the border lines had been changed, she and her immediate family now lived in the US, with all the rights and responsibilities that accompany that, through absolutely no effort of their own. The rest of the family still lived in Mexico, and couldn't freely cross the border back and forth as her family could, and she said it felt strange.
Not every mother from Mexico who delivers in the US does it on purpose, to sneakily have a baby on American soil. A young man i know was to be born in Calexico in Baja California, (Mexico) but his mother was having complications during delivery and they rushed her to a hospital in San Diego, CA. He was born with mild cerebral palsy, but left in Calexico would more than likely have died.
What do these three stories have in common? They demonstrate that each and every situation is unique. Do I believe that each and every child who is born to a woman who crossed the border illegally (the women themselves are not illegal, the act they commit is) should be granted automatic citizenship? Yes, I do. Do I think if the mother is deported the baby should accompany her to Mexico or whatever other country she is from? If that country and where she will live offers a safe environment, yes, I do. Otherwise i don't believe the mother or baby should be sent back.
Personally, I have to say that as a mother I would be tempted to give birth to my child in the US as opposed to Mexico. That I would come to the US illegally to do so, no. How sad that some mothers are brought to the point that they will break the law to try and ensure a better life for their child...I cannot imagine being in that situation.
God bless ALL mamas and their babies
⊱✿ ✿⊰
In response to your SWH as to why we would assume that you meant Mexicans when you said "illegals", MY reasons are that
1) typically when someone speaks of "illegals" (what is that, anyway? The act is illegal, the person is NOT illegal, they are in the US illegally), they are speaking of Mexicans crossing "our" borders. Most people cannot believe that anyone from another country, unless it is a Spanish-speaking one, would dare to commit the crime of entering the US illegally. Who would consider a blond-haired, blue-eyed Swede an "illegal" as opposed to a Mexican? (Though this could very well be.)
2) the majority of people entering the US illegally are Mexicans, it's a fact that was more than likely mentioned in the debate, or should have been.
3) You are in Houston so the majority of illegal aliens you'd encounter would likely be from Mexico, or so I assumed, and that you would be most concerned about what affected you personally.
These are the reasons why I geared my answer towards Mexicans.