Study: 8 Percent of U.S. Births to Illegal Immigrants

WASHINGTON, August 11, 2010— -- Eight percent of all babies born in the U.S. in 2008 belonged to illegal immigrant parents, according to a groundbreaking analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data by the Pew Hispanic Center. Under the 14th amendment to the Constitution, each child obtained U.S. citizenship at birth while one or both of the parents remained undocumented.

The study sheds new light on a group of Americans at the center of a hot political debate in recent weeks. Some Republican lawmakers have proposed revising birthright citizenship to bar U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants from obtaining legal status.

Pew estimates 340,000 of the 4.3 million newborns in U.S. hospitals in 2008 belonged to illegal immigrant parents. In total, 4 million U.S.-born, citizen children of illegal immigrants currently live in the country, according to the study.

The study is the most comprehensive, non-partisan research to date on children of illegal immigrants living in the U.S. and adds important context, and frames the ongoing debate. Previously there have been few reliable estimates of annual U.S. births to illegal immigrants.

Critics of birthright citizenship have expressed concern over the burgeoning size of America's illegal immigrant population, estimated at 10.8 million and whose offspring in the U.S. would be able to sponsor their parents and relatives for legal residency. The children are sometimes referred to as anchor babies.

"Birthright citizenship I think is a mistake," said Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. "We should change our Constitution and say if you come here illegally and you have a child, that child's automatically not a citizen."

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and other leading Republicans, including Arizona senators Jon Kyl and John McCain, have indicated an openness to exploring the 14th Amendment issue raised by Sen. Graham. But some harbor deep reservations about changing the Constitution.

"It's a rather unseemly business and I think we ought to have some hearings about it," McConnell said of the practice of illegal immigrant mothers giving birth in the U.S.

"Congressional hearings are always warranted when members of Congress raise the issue of amending our Constitution," said McCain in a statement. "I believe that the Constitution is a strong, complete and carefully crafted document that has successfully governed our nation for centuries and any proposal to amend the Constitution should receive extensive and thoughtful consideration."