Citizenship by Birthright Up for Debate

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060522/ap_on_re_us/immigration_divided_families;_ylt=Atj6WQWTG0duT0cqIbdrYU2s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA2Z2szazkxBHNlYwN0bQ--

Citizenship by Birthright Up for Debate

By GIOVANNA DELL'ORTO, Associated Press Writer 50 minutes ago

NORCROSS, Ga. - Laila Montezuma was 16 when she sneaked across the Rio Grande from Mexico with her mother, only to be abandoned by the smuggler paid to get them into the United States. They had to hire another "coyote" to reach Houston.


But Montezuma's own daughter will be spared those struggles. Even if Montezuma and her husband are both deported for being illegal immigrants, little Alma could eventually return to enjoy the opportunities her parents sought here.

"She's not going to have to fight for anything for the simple fact that she was born here," Montezuma said as her infant daughter played in a waiting room at a pediatrics clinic in suburban Atlanta.

About 2 million families face the risk of being split up because the children are U.S.-born citizens but the parents are illegal immigrants. At least one lawmaker has proposed ending citizenship by birthright, restricting automatic citizenship at birth to children of U.S. citizens and legal residents.