Kenneth Brown
Captain
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2003
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(CBS 11 News) DALLAS A woman who wished to be identified only as Maria is eight months pregnant and living illegally in North Texas. She came across the border 12 years ago.
Maria says that she lives in fear. She is afraid of going to the grocery store, worried that someone will be there to deport her to Mexico. But she is also afraid of going hungry if she were to return. She has not seen her parents since she left her home. They have never even met her six-year-old son.
Now, there is a move in Austin to prohibit the children of illegal immigrants from becoming United States citizens. It's called House Bill 28, and it was drafted by State Respresentative Leo Berman (R) of Tyler. He believes that citizenship should not be automatic for the children of illegal immigrants, and he's hoping this argument will end up in a federal court.
"An illegal alien is someone who has an allegiance to another country," said Berman.
If the bill is passed, Berman believes that the children of illegal immigrants would also be prohibited from receiving state benefits like health care, disability and instruction in public schools. "These are the type of benefits that we're going to deny, and we're going to get sued for doing that, and that's exactly what we're looking for," Berman said. "We're looking for a lawsuit because, as a State Legislature, we can't change the Constitution. We can't call a Constitutional Convention. This is the only way we thought of that we can challenge the 14th Amendment."
Representative Berman says that, if the bill is passed, it will be challenged by organizations like LULAC and the ACLU.
Hispanic activists campaigning on behalf of illegal immigrants say that the bill has little chance of passing, and they do not believe that it will be signed by Governor Rick Perry.
Maria says that she lives in fear. She is afraid of going to the grocery store, worried that someone will be there to deport her to Mexico. But she is also afraid of going hungry if she were to return. She has not seen her parents since she left her home. They have never even met her six-year-old son.
Now, there is a move in Austin to prohibit the children of illegal immigrants from becoming United States citizens. It's called House Bill 28, and it was drafted by State Respresentative Leo Berman (R) of Tyler. He believes that citizenship should not be automatic for the children of illegal immigrants, and he's hoping this argument will end up in a federal court.
"An illegal alien is someone who has an allegiance to another country," said Berman.
If the bill is passed, Berman believes that the children of illegal immigrants would also be prohibited from receiving state benefits like health care, disability and instruction in public schools. "These are the type of benefits that we're going to deny, and we're going to get sued for doing that, and that's exactly what we're looking for," Berman said. "We're looking for a lawsuit because, as a State Legislature, we can't change the Constitution. We can't call a Constitutional Convention. This is the only way we thought of that we can challenge the 14th Amendment."
Representative Berman says that, if the bill is passed, it will be challenged by organizations like LULAC and the ACLU.
Hispanic activists campaigning on behalf of illegal immigrants say that the bill has little chance of passing, and they do not believe that it will be signed by Governor Rick Perry.
