I think something needs to be done and soon.

http://www.fairus.org/site/PageServer?page...ipep2t941.app8a

Article about hospitals in Starr County Texas and undocumented immigrant births:

Sept. 24, 2006, 1:14PM
'Border baby' boom strains S. Texas
More illegal immigrants are pouring into the state to give birth


By JAMES PINKERTON
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

RIO GRANDE CITY — First it was a trickle, now it's a flood.

Rising numbers of undocumented immigrants from Mexico and Central America are streaming into Texas to give birth, straining hospitals and costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, health officials say.

Doctors and health officials say they are overwhelmed by both the new arrivals and those immigrant mothers who already are in the state. Even Houston's feeling the pinch. An estimated 70 percent to 80 percent of the 10,587 births at Ben Taub General Hospital and Lyndon B. Johnson General Hospital last year were to undocumented immigrants, administrators say.

Also feeling the strain is Starr County, an already poor South Texas county that has the region's only taxpayer-supported hospital district.

Immigrants "want a U.S.-born baby" and know that emergency room staffers don't collect any money up front, said Dr. Mario Rodriguez, an obstetrician in Starr County.

"The word is out: Come to Starr County and get delivered for free. Why pay $1,000 in Mexico when you can get it for free?" Rodriguez said.

''When we are separated only by the distance of the river, it's easy to do," Starr County hospital administrator Thalia Muñoz said. "It's gotten worse, and it's because the economy in Mexico is not good and because we provide all these benefits."

Unfortunately, doctors say, Starr County isn't alone.

''Our little snapshot is duplicated in all the municipalities between here and California," said Tony Falcon, a Rio Grande City physician who was appointed to the U.S.-Mexico Border Health Commission in April. ''What you see here is what is happening in Brownsville, McAllen, El Paso and San Diego."

He operates a private family clinic and delivers babies at the Starr County hospital. About a third of his deliveries are what he calls "walk-ins" — mothers in labor showing up at the ER.

''Obviously, it has a huge impact on patient health and the kind of health care that's provided," Falcon said. "You don't get the kind of prenatal care you should get."

'Anchor babies'
Immigration-control advocates regard the U.S.-born infants as "anchor babies" because they give their undocumented parents and relatives a way to petition for citizenship. They estimate that 360,000 of these babies are born in the U.S. every year and warn that the numbers are rising.

Once parents have an "anchor baby," they become more difficult to deport, said Jack Martin, a spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a lobby organization in Washington, D.C.

''It's a fairly big factor in complicating the removal of illegal aliens," Martin said. "Illegal aliens know that and, to some extent, we think they're being influenced into having children as soon as they get into the U.S. to complicate their removal."

Some lawmakers want to begin denying citizenship to babies born to illegal immigrants.

Birthright citizenship, as it is known, has been in force since the approval of the Constitution's 14th Amendment in 1868. But several bills under consideration in Congress would abolish the longstanding federal policy. Sponsors include U.S. Reps. Ron Paul, R-Lake Jackson, and Nathan Deal, R-Ga.

In a largely symbolic move, the Michigan House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly on Sept. 8 to end birthright citizenship.

Undocumented immigrants say they are being attacked unfairly and think that all children born in the U.S. should have equal rights.

Socorro Gonzalez, an undocumented immigrant who in August gave birth to her fourth child on U.S. soil, said she and her husband aren't trying to take advantage of immigration laws or abuse the health care system.

''We're not here to have a child. We are here to work," she said as she cradled her infant son, Orlando Soto.

Gonzalez, 42, said she moved to South Texas four years ago to join her husband, a cabinet maker. Two of their older children were born at a private midwife's clinic, she said, and two were delivered at taxpayer expense at hospitals in McAllen.

Gonzalez said the benefits of undocumented immigrants' labor in the U.S. more than compensate for the costs of their medical bills.

''I don't see why they should deny a medical service if we're here struggling for this country," she said. ''Because of the help of Mexican workers, whether they want us or not, this country is progressing."

Still, someone has to pay the bills, and not everyone is happy about that.

Uncollected medical bills
Starr County Memorial Hospital had $3.6 million in uncollected medical bills in 2005, up from $1.5 million in 2002. The total when fiscal 2006 ends on Sept. 30 is expected to hit $3.9 million, chief financial officer Rafael Olivarez said. Unpaid bills for the past five years will reach nearly $13 million, he said.

To make up for the shortfall, Starr County's hospital district is proposing a 25 percent tax hike.

Already, the U.S. government is pitching in, setting aside $1 billion in Medicaid funds to pay for emergency care received by undocumented migrants over the next four years.

But Olivarez said getting the reimbursements isn't easy. Federal officials ''told us at a meeting they would pay us about 20 cents on the dollar," he said. "But it's better than nothing."

No one knows for sure how many undocumented immigrants there are or what they cost the health care system. Most hospitals don't ask whether patients have papers.

Total cost unknown

''It puts them in the position of being border police," said Amanda Engler, a spokeswoman for the Texas Hospital Association in Austin.

Harris County Hospital District officials say their policy is not to question patients directly about their citizenship.

''We do not explicitly ask if our patients are illegal, but we do ask them for proof of Harris County residency," district spokeswoman Shannon Rasp said. "Often citizenship status becomes clearer when billing issues come up."

Eighty-three percent of the undocumented immigrants receiving in-patient care at the district's hospitals and clinics last year were from Mexico, officials said. Six percent were from El Salvador or Guatemala. And the remaining 11 percent were from such countries as Britain, Canada, Haiti, India, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria and Vietnam.
''Using anecdotal information provided us by our staff, statistics from other public hospital systems and our patient demographics, we believe that approximately 70 to 80 percent of our obstetrics patients are undocumented," Rasp said.

In all, 57,072 patients visited the district's hospitals, clinics and health centers last year, and nearly a fifth were undocumented, Rasp said. The cost of their treatment was $97.3 million, up from $55 million in 2002.
james.pinkerton@chron.com

I went to Dunkin Donuts yesterday and ordered coffee and a bagel. I was charged more than I normally was, so I asked if the price went up, and this girl (obviously not having a good command of English) didn't know what I was saying.

Another worker came to the order window trying to help her. I asked if this other girl who took my order knew English; she said "very little." I was pissed.

2006 Senate and Governor Seats
Up for Election in 2006
here

I deal with this sort of thing on my job. Customers have come to me for help looking for merchandise they can't pronounce, and I have no clue as how to help them, and it frustrates me to no end. English should be our national language. Other countries have theirs. If you vacation in a foreign country, you have to learn enough of the language to get you by while you are there. No one is having their culture stripped from them if they have to learn a second language, and anyone who immigrates to another country to reside there on a permanent basis should be REQUIRED to learn that country's language. JMO, but one I feel strongly about.

Which countries have you visited? I have been to several countries where they were very helpful despite language barriers.

some of these African immigrants are just learning English. They are victims of genocide. Have some compassion. Remember, they spouses were killed or raped, sisters/brothers burnt alive or taken into slavery. They deserve our amnesty.

I didn't mean to sound so harsh, but it is frustrating when you are trying to help someone and there is a language barrier. I'm speaking of those who have been in this country for quite a while and haven't taken time to learn the language that is mainly spoken here. I for one, would love to know a second language. I have Greek relatives and when they speak Greek, I always feel a little out of the loop because I don't know what is being said. One of my aunts speaks four languages, and at times I envy her ability. I guess what I am trying to say is that it would make their lives a little easier if they learned at least a little English. By no means did I intend to come off as disrespectful toward immigrants, and I apologize if I came across that way to some who read my previous post.

It is possible to learn another language. I took Italian for four years when I was in High School and I'm still fluent today. I remember when I initially started I could not even say Buon Giorno (Hello) properly lol. Then four years later I can speak, read, and write Italian fairly well. If you'd like, you could take a College course in a foreign language you are interested in. Although it may not be four years of instruction, the instructor will likely get you to the point of being fluently by focusing on conversing in the language daily as well as translating things you read throughout your day into the language. That's honestly how I learned Italian, by thinking and speaking in Italian as much as possible in addition to the class I took.

So are you saying we should learn their language or they should learn ours?

Immigration Needs a Time Out (from Fairus.org)

Legal immigration to the United States is headed for the highest level in American history. More than one million immigrants settle in the United States every year—nearly four times as many immigrants as we were receiving only 30 years ago. Illegal immigration has been rising steadily and has now reached the unprecedented level of over eight million illegal aliens.

For as long as there have been immigration laws on the books, the stated and implied purpose of those regulations has been to protect the livelihoods of American workers, to maintain national security, to preserve a sense of national cohesion, and to prevent destructive population growth. Yet today, our immigration system is so hopelessly overwhelmed and undermanned that the immigration laws have become a mockery. And even as poll after poll shows that the public is anxious to consider a wide array of immigration reforms, legal and illegal immigration continue to careen out of control.

THE PROBLEM

Next to the tax code, the immigration law is the most complicated set of statutes on the books. However, while the United States has many immigration laws, we have no immigration policy. There is no laid out overriding set of national objectives for immigration. Immigration decisions are made most often by recent immigrants who petition to have their relatives brought to the U.S. or by illegal immigrants who arrive uninvited. The American people and their government have lost control of the decision-making process.
Furthermore, current immigration levels are so high that immigration officials are unable to thoroughly screen immigrants before allowing them into the country. September 11 exposed the serious breaches in our immigration policies and laws that could be exploited with relative ease and deadly consequences; indeed, all 19 of the hijackers had visas issued to them by the U.S. government. Today’s level of immigration is simply too high to be regulated effectively, too high to ensure proper interior enforcement, and too high to be consistent with U.S. national needs and priorities.

Even after September 11, our borders remain porous and millions of people enter the country illegally each year. Hundreds of thousands of them settle permanently—and we lack any way of knowing who they are or what their intentions may be. The same open borders that allow millions of illegal aliens to enter the U.S. each year have been used by terrorists to infiltrate our country; indeed, recent reports are that 1,000 al-Qaeda members are believed to be in the U.S.


HOW A TIME-OUT WOULD HELP

Current immigration policies have overloaded the immigration system, making it impossible to properly screen aliens for admission, track aliens in the U.S., and enforce laws against illegal immigration. Without a reduction in the enormous immigration workload, we won’t be able get a handle on the problem while still facing a flow of more than one million new immigrants every year. (Currently, more than three million people are already on a waiting list to immigrate to the United States and many millions more have the necessary family ties to apply.)

A time-out would bring about a major reduction in immigration for a fixed period of time. Just as one would shut off the main water valve before attempting to fix a leaky pipe, the United States needs to halt most forms of immigration while we repair a dysfunctional policy.

Stopping most forms of immigration temporarily would allow us time to devise an immigration policy which meets our needs, not just the desires of recent and would-be immigrants. It would also allow us to concentrate on stopping the massive illegal immigration problem and regaining control of our borders.

BENEFITS OF A TIME-OUT


A time-out to temporarily reduce the enormous workload currently facing immigration officers would allow the United States to regain control of its borders and protect the nation against terrorism. By freeing up resources now devoted to the administration of numerous immigration benefits and the processing of massive numbers of new immigration applications and reducing the workload created by numerous special interest provisions in current immigration law, we would allow the new Department of Homeland Security to focus on the domestic fight against terrorism, enhanced border security, and increased interior immigration enforcement.

A time-out would ease the pressure on the environment and give us a chance to repair our institutions. Common sense dictates that we must stop adding new burdens to institutions and systems that are struggling. Making real environmental headway and repairing our failing educational and health care systems will be all but impossible as long as we continue today’s high immigration levels.

An immigration time-out would allow the millions of recent immigrants to pursue the American dream. We have successfully absorbed and assimilated immigrants in the past because we have periodically halted immigration. A break from current high levels would allow recent immigrants to fulfill their aspirations as previous waves of immigrants have.

HOW WOULD A TIME-OUT WORK?

FAIR advocates a time-out that would continue only immigration of the spouses and minor children of U.S. citizens and some legitimate refugees. Until it can be shown that there is a national need for higher levels, immigration should be kept low.

Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO) has introduced a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that would enact a five-year moratorium on many categories of immigration, including extended adult relatives, and would significantly cut back on the number of skilled workers and refugees.
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Another article: Biggest problem in America

One way to stop the heavy flow of immigration in this country is to adovcate for better lifestlyes in other countries.

But with our trade agreement, we basically are depriving nations to provide better incomes for indigenous people. Our country just consumes so much, and yet practically rob other nations of the resources, while making their debts soar to the world bank.


STOP BUYING CHOCOLATE, DIAMONDS, and COFFEE(THAT IS NOT FAIR-TRADE)!!!

I rather wear fur than diamonds, I care more about people than animals. Sorry!

Yikes. :blink: Well what the heck did the animals do to deserve to be treated like s***? I'm not saying that people deserve to be treated like s***, but animals certainly do not either. There has to be a better way than to compromise the integrity of other animals for the sake of humans. Isn't that the very fact that is disturbing you? The fact that, in your opinion, Americans are exploiting people of other countries? So instead we should be exploiting animals? How about not exploiting anything and having respect for all living creatures. There is nothing humane about the fur trade.

France, yes, you are right, no one should be exploited.

However, I have friends who get so upset about animals, but don't give a hoot about African children being blown up, enslaved, dismembered in diamond mines. That's what makes say, sorry, I care more about children than deers being hunted. I have coat with fox fur for the collar. I will wear it, but diamonds, no thank you! You might as well wear a missing arm from a child on your finger.

I believe all American students should be required to learn another language besides English. When you look at Europeans, they are able to converse in at least two languages if not more due to compulsory foreign language education. Studies show that our ability to speak another language increases our overall intelligence and capacity to understand the world in general through more potential associations. Therefore, yes, I think we should learn a language other than English.

All we hear is people complaining about why our students are becoming less competitive within the academic arena. Well, it would be great to afford students the opportunity to learn a multitude of different languages that promotes becoming fluent writers, readers, and speakers of a language other than English. We could offer languages ranging from Chinese to French while requiring students to focus enough time and effort to become fluent. This would help improve our linguistic intellect as well as broaden our cultural horizons.

Any smart parent would encourage their child to learn another language. It improves their chances for a better future financially and cutulurally.

I completely agree, Pilatesmom. That is why I would hope schools across the country would consider a stronger and more committed Foreign Language Curriculum. I'm not saying that we should adopt another language and have everyone learn to speak that language. I think it would be wonderful for everyone to speak varying languages from all over the world in addition to English here in the US. It opens the door to other opportunities like International Business and even more effective traveling for vacation.

I agree about the learning of another language. It should go hand in hand with high school education. BUT we should be able to choose whatever language we want and not be required to know all of them or any particular one so we can converse with the local convenience store clerk!

I took French and Spanish, but after 20 years of not using either one, it has faded fast!

I agree, a language of choice. I would like my son to learn Chinese, however, since they are the major global power.

I really haven't ever met anyone who cares about animals and not about people. I know there are some extreme people out there though, but it bothers me that people think of animal welfare activists as those who have no regard for human life (I know that you were just referring to some of your friends and not all animal welfare advocates).

I personally cannot stand to even think of any animal, humans included, suffering. I would bet that if you were to watch what goes on in the fur trade, you would never again wear fur. I saw a video in which live raccoons were skinned for their fur. For days I could not get the image of a raccoon that had just been freshly skinned being thrown to the side and then struggle and blink its eyelids. Can you imagine what sort of pain that poor animal must have been in? It's enraging me right now to think about it.

And I am equally enraged at the thought of children being exploited and harmed in any way. This world is filled with unimaginable evil.

Illegal immigration: Open letter to all Veterans

http://www.flimen.org/articles/Open%20Ltr%...0Day%202007.htm

yea, and there are illegal immigrants serving in the military.

most of what we buy is made in other countries. where's the outrage about that?

Please point the finger at the top cats and corporations that off shore our jobs.

Well that's a whole different topic.

Go to the link below to see what's required by non-Mexicans to work in Mexico.

http://pubweb.fdbl.com/ihp8/global/media85...ment#Employment

The bottom line is that we need immigration reform. The process to become a legal citizen is very laborious and takes far longer than it should. Once these laws are changed so that it becomes easier and more effective, then the conversation about undocumented citizens can begin. Until that reform happens, it is a moot point. My cousin's wife who moved from Canada to become a legal citizen here took an insane amount of time. It's time for Congress, Senate, AND President to pass legislation that brings Immigration to an updated 2007 world.

so agree! with Soul Music

so many amnesty immigrants need to granted. they won't take our country for granted.

Immigration by the numbers...
If you haven't seen this already, it is a MUST SEE!!!
YouTube: Immigration by the Numbers

There is a mjor flaw in that guys argument with the big scary red illegal immigrants and their descendents chart...those descendents would be Americans!!
The children and the childrens children don't remain illegal...they were born here and are and should be afforded the rights of all citizens.

Just remember...THE PILGRIMS WERE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS!!

all I can say is, the world is a different place now, and allowing just "whoever" here, is getting scarier, and talking a much bigger chance, especially after 9/11. Also illegalllllllll immigration, don't EVEN get me started on it! That poor girl that was raped and murdered by those two mexican SOB ILLEGAL immigrants, yeah, let me just say if I was her parents I would make this my platform for the rest of my life until SOMETHING is done to resolve it. It is a complete and utter disgrace to think of all the "free" benefits (yeah that WE, the hard working LEGAL american) is paying for out of our pockets, for them to come here and live in the US. I could go on forever..............sigh....

oh and rick, you know I love ya, but what law was in place when the pilgrims came here to make them illegal? In order for them to be "illegal" a law has to be in place;)

and Soul, I don't believe they are "undocumented citizens" they are "criminal aliens"....they are not CITIZENS of the US of A;)

That is wrong then, IMO. If you are an ILLEGAL immigrant, you have no rights as a US citizen. How can an illegals' child be given citizenship, when the parent is NOT a LEGAL citizen? You must list your own SS#/birthdate/etc., when applying for your childs' SS card. An illegal immigrant does not have this, so how can they get citizenship for the child? Makes no sense to me at all.

A citizen is one by birth...I am not sure exactly where I stand on the immigration issue, however I am a compassionate person by nature. If someone is trying to make a better life for themself, I would find it very hard to deny them that opportunity. Most of the people who live here illegally are peace loving, family oriented, hard working individuals, trying to make a better life for themselves and their children. Ofcourse there are always exceptions.

I can't help but think of the Native Americans who lived in this country before us. We claimed their territory as our own, and now we think it is our right to deny this land to others.

I also understand the need to protect the country and the rights and freedoms of those who live here. It is just not an easy call to me, but I would always err on the side of mercy.

ty Gyps, and this guy is right on the money. If we keep allowing all of these LEGAL immigrants (the immigrants he was talking about were the LEGAL ones..yeah then add on the ILLEGAL ones and imagine it...) there will be nothing left in the years to come for our very OWN citizens. I completely agree on a set limit, because if we all went with our HUGE hearts, and not with our heads, it would be the fall of the US of A. We are only one country and why is it always up to us, to take care of the entire world? Is it wrong to look out for our OWN impoverished children, our homeless, our single mom's and dad's where the other parent is ALLOWED to go off and do as they may? Sure, another thing is we want to be feeling, and caring and let them all in, and then where will we put them? We can't clear land where there are endangered Kirtland's Warbler's..ohhhh no. What about jobs? When I go out to look for a part time job, at even a laundromat or small store, and I can't get a job, because an ILLEGAL has the job, I am sorry, but that makes me angry, and shouldn't it? It is not the tax payers of this country's responsibility to take care of the 6 billion people on this planet. I am lucky to be able to take care of my own with all the taxes that come out of our pockets NOW. All of the governments money comes from US..me and YOU. I have a heart as big as the sea, but I am also realistic too, because you HAVE to be. I don't understand how ANY president, of this country, could go under the microscope with ALL the entire world, INCLUDING their own country, asks, and needs them to do, solve, stop, start, with wars, genocide, aids, poverty, homelessness, starvation, lack of medical resources, etc. You could not PAY me enough to try and run a world, because it is not humanly possible to do everything that everyone wants, needs, thinks, demands etc. Just stop and think, and put yourself in the big man's (or maybe someday, woman's) shoes.

K now I am ranting...lol;)

are we not our brothers keeper? And where do we cut our heart on and off and be realistic? Where do we draw the line? I'm not disagreeing with anyone here, I'm just trying to make sense of of things, and the state of this world in which we live. It is all beyond me, and I feel what you are saying Yellin....I can't even imagine the weight of responsiblity the President must feel every day of his life. Agree or disagree, I always have respect for the enormity and complexity of the position and there is just so much we don't know, that only the top leaders are privy to. I wish I had never seen this thread in a way. Alot of time, I am guilty of just turning away from serious issues because they are so confounding and I feel helpless.

Awwwwww, it's ok hon and trust me, I know exactly how you feel too!!!

(((((((HUGS))))))))

:grouphug:

Nevermind.

I agree with your comments, Linda4Elliott. Unofrtunately, I think compassion and tolerance for diversity has become less and less. It's pretty sad.