Asians abusing US birthright citizenship: Bush

WASHINGTON: Republican White House hopeful Jeb Bush on Monday accused Asians of abusing rules allowing infants born in the US to be American citizens, amid a campaign row over immigration.

Bush has clashed with rivals – including the Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump and top Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton – over use of the term “anchor babies”, a derogatory description of children born in the United States to undocumented parents.

Migrants’ rights activists see the term as a slur used by anti-immigration campaigners to describe the babies of those who sneak across the border to give birth, gifting their offspring US citizenship and enhancing the parents’ legal status.

But when responding to a question on Monday about whether the “anchor baby” row would hurt his ability to win the Hispanic vote, Bush said the situation has more to do with other immigrants.

“What I was talking about was the specific case of fraud being committed where there’s organised efforts – and frankly it’s more related to Asian people coming into our country, having children in that organised effort, taking advantage of a noble concept with birthright citizenship.

“My background, my life, the fact that I’m immersed in the immigrant experience – this is ludicrous for the Clinton campaign and others to suggest that somehow I’m using a derogatory term.

“I support the 14th Amendment,” he said of the constitutional guarantee of citizenship to anyone born in the country.

Trump has called for possibly scrapping the law, saying birthright citizenship boosts illegal immigration.

Last March, US investigators raided dozens of Los Angeles locations suspected of offering “maternity tourism” services for pregnant Chinese women wanting to gain US citizenship for their children.

Some were paying over US$50,000 (RM212,000) for packages designed to allow them to give birth in the United States.

Last week, Bush sparked criticism when he told a radio show host that the US needs “better enforcement so that you don’t have these, you know, ‘anchor babies’ as they’re described, coming into the country”. – AFP