“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me:
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.”
My answer: Because America.
“anchor baby benefits”
What are those? If you are referring to benefits that go to the baby, those are “U.S. citizen benefits.” There are no benefits that go to an undocumented immigrant because she has given birth to a baby in the U.S.
Illegal (and legal) immigrants apply to colleges for the same reason as everyone else. OK, for different reasons (education, pursue of happiness, degree-seeking, career-obsessed, future-leaders-of-the-universe). The same reasons any teenager does apply to college.
A college accepts Illegal (and legal) immigrant for the same reasons it accepts every other teenager. Common 
Practically, if your child is a US citizen, and turns 18, he/she may apply for citizenship for his/her parents. Thus, parents of a US citizen would become US citizens as well. Thus, I really don’t understand the issue - the absolute majority of “undocumented” immigrants would, eventually, become US citizens, anyway. Through marriage and family.
<i think="" you’re="" coming="" at="" this="" from="" the="" wrong="" perspective.="" these="" are="" obviously="" kids="" with="" tremendous="" potential.="" they="" a="" resource="" and="" an="" asset="" to="" country.="" it’s="" absolutely="" in="" best="" interests="" of="" united="" states="" make="" sure="" get="" good="" education="" which="" leads="" great="" job…="" not="" only="" for="" what="" will="" contribute="" terms="" their="" work="" (new="" technologies,="" medical="" research,="" public="" service?)="" but="" tax="" revenue.="" denying="" them="" that="" sending="" off="" local="" car-wash="" or="" meat-packing="" plant="" what-have-you="" would="" be="" waste="" benefits="" no="" one.=""><i think="" you’re="" coming="" at="" this="" from="" the="" wrong="" perspective.="" these="" are="" obviously="" kids="" with="" tremendous="" potential.="" they="" a="" resource="" and="" an="" asset="" to="" country.="" it’s="" absolutely="" in="" best="" interests="" of="" united="" states="" make="" sure="" get="" good="" education="" which="" leads="" great="" job…="" not="" only="" for="" what="" will="" contribute="" terms="" their="" work="" (new="" technologies,="" medical="" research,="" public="" service?)="" but="" tax="" revenue.="" denying="" them="" that="" sending="" off="" local="" car-wash="" or="" meat-packing="" plant="" what-have-you="" would="" be="" waste="" benefits="" no="" one.="">
Agree
@californiaa, if only it were as easy as you describe.
First, to sponsor someone, you have to be 21, and not 18. The person has to prove he/she earn enough to sponsor their relative(s). And the sponsored parents(s) must reside outside of the US. If they’re here, they must leave the country and go home (hard for people to do that who are worried about their safety in the home country, like many immigrants from, for example, Honduras do.) And once they leave the country, they have a 10 year ban for entering again! Which means then the 21-year old has to prove (and that ain’t easy) that the parent(s) absence poses significant hardship for the sponsor. There is considerable paperwork involved, fees, and months – if not years – of waiting.
Who said anything about denying them an education?
In our family, as Americans living/working overseas LEGALLY, we have to repatriate our kids to attend colleges in our country of citizenship. And it’s not free for our kids to attend, either.
No doubt if you admitted and funded all the bright int’l students in the world and let them stay, they’d be contributors to our society, too.
@GMTplus7 – they could get free or nearly free education in France or Germany, no?
I suppose. If so, they would have to apply for LEGAL French or German student visas. But then illegal immigrant students in tbe US could avail themselves of the same.
Big difference: to get a student visa in the US you have to prove you have thousands – if not tens of thousands – in the bank. Student visas in Europe are much easier to get.
Then illegal immigrants in the US should add it to their list of options.
You’re full of practical advice for illegal immigrants 
I’m just trying to get my head around the rationalization of why I, as a US citizen, am being advised to go seek cheaper college for my kids in France/Germany, while illegal immigrants who have no legal right to be in my country are getting a free ride.
It’s been explained to you. Because Texas law allows it. If you don’t like it, move to Texas and start lobbying to change the law.
Sorry, you are right, 21. Sorry, sorry, sorry. Somehow, I thought they have lowered the age. But it didn’t happen.
<if they’re="" here,="" they="" must="" leave="" the="" country="" and="" go="" home="" (hard="" for="" people="" to="" do="" that="" who="" are="" worried="" about="" their="" safety="" in="" country,="" like="" many="" immigrants="" from,="" example,="" honduras="" do.)="" once="" have="" a="" 10="" year="" ban="" entering="" again!="">
Not really. I am positive that the application is possible even for relatives when they are in the country. Absolutely, 200% positive. In the worst case scenario, a relative may leave USA (wityhout being deport
< There is considerable paperwork involved, fees, and months – if not years – of waiting. > True. It takes over a year to complete the process. At least, a year. However, it is doable.
@Californiaaa, please show me your source. Because everything I see online (and have dealt with while working with immigrants) definitely says, the sponsored parent(s) must leave the US and face a 10-year ban only alleviated by a waiver.
http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/how-soon-can-the-us-born-child-undocumented-immigrant-petition-the-parent.html
People who have more than 180 days of “unlawful presence” in the U.S. and then leave voluntarily will not be allowed to return for three years; those who have more than one year of unlawful presence and then leave or get deported will not be allowed to return for ten years.
https://www.uscis.gov/family/family-us-citizens/provisional-waiver/provisional-unlawful-presence-waivers
A neighbor was a Mexican citizen, married to a US Citizen (although he was naturalized, from some mid-eastern country). Two children were US born. Mother’s application to become a citizen, through her marriage, came up and she had to travel back to Mexico and have her application processed through the consulate there. They expected it to take 4 months, so she took the kids and went to stay with her family. A year later she was still waiting. She couldn’t return to the US. Her husband could visit her there, but she couldn’t come here.
My niece married a (gasp) Canadian. It took him two years to get a work permit. A lot of paperwork, a trip to Montreal, still no movement. They finally hired a lawyer. He could come and go from the US, but he couldn’t work. Luckily she lived in Montana and now in Washington so the ‘commute’ wasn’t too bad.
<a neighbor="" was="" a="" mexican="" citizen,="" married="" to="" us="" citizen="" (although="" he="" naturalized,="" from="" some="" mid-eastern="" country).="" two="" children="" were="" born.="" mother’s="" application="" become="" through="" her="" marriage,="" came="" up="" and="" she="" had="" travel="" back="" mexico="" have="" processed="" the="" consulate="" there.="" they="" expected="" it="" take="" 4="" months,="" so="" took="" kids="" went="" stay="" with="" family.="" year="" later="" still="" waiting.="" couldn’t="" return="" us.="" husband="" could="" visit="" there,="" but="" come="" here.=""><a neighbor="" was="" a="" mexican="" citizen,="" married="" to="" us="" citizen="" (although="" he="" naturalized,="" from="" some="" mid-eastern="" country).="" two="" children="" were="" born.="" mother’s="" application="" become="" through="" her="" marriage,="" came="" up="" and="" she="" had="" travel="" back="" mexico="" have="" processed="" the="" consulate="" there.="" they="" expected="" it="" take="" 4="" months,="" so="" took="" kids="" went="" stay="" with="" family.="" year="" later="" still="" waiting.="" couldn’t="" return="" us.="" husband="" could="" visit="" there,="" but="" come="" here.="">
My best wished to your neighbor , stuck at the border. She didn’t HAVE to leave USA, the paperwork could have been processed in USA. Once she is out, she is out of luck. Yes, it may take long time, unfortunately. Hopefully, she will be able to get it done soon. Yes, fees are expensive, adjustment of status costs, approximately, $500 per person.
<adjustment of="" status="" for="" permanent="" residence="" (immigration)="" in="" the="" us.="" adjustment="" (“aos”)="" is="" a="" procedure="" that="" allows="" an="" eligible="" applicant="" to="" become="" lawful="" resident="" united="" states="" without="" having="" go="" abroad="" and="" apply="" immigrant="" visa.="" another="" alternative="" aos="" consular="" processing.="">
<my niece="" married="" a="" (gasp)="" canadian.="" it="" took="" him="" two="" years="" to="" get="" work="" permit.="" lot="" of="" paperwork,="" trip="" montreal,="" still="" no="" movement.="" they="" finally="" hired="" lawyer.="" he="" could="" come="" and="" go="" from="" the="" us,="" but="" couldn’t="" work.="" luckily="" she="" lived="" in="" montana="" now="" washington="" so="" ‘commute’="" wasn’t="" too="" bad.="">
Work permits are ridiculously difficult to obtain. He should have asked for an H1B visa, through the employer. Although, I don’t know the visa situation right now, sometimes there is plenty of H1B visas and no wait time (in late 90s, early 00s), sometimes, it is ridiculously difficult to get one (late 00s).
You don’t just “ask for an H1B visa” – an employer applies on your behalf, having to prove they can’t hire an American to do the said job. After the application is sent, there’s A LOTTERY – because obviously there are more applications for H1B than actual visas.