Nearly 10% of births in America are ‘anchor babies’
A new analysis from the Pew Research Center estimates that a significant share of births in the United States in 2023 were to mothers without legal immigration status.
According to the findings, about 320,000 of the 3.6 million babies born that year were delivered to mothers who were in the country illegally, representing just under 10 percent of total births. Researchers noted that these children would not automatically receive citizenship if a recent executive order issued by President Trump is ultimately upheld by the Supreme Court.
The data further breaks down the figures, showing that roughly 245,000 of those births were to families where both parents were undocumented immigrants. About 15,000 additional babies were born to mothers with temporary legal permission to stay in the country, while the fathers were neither U.S. citizens nor lawful permanent residents. Another estimated 60,000 births involved mothers without legal status, but with fathers who were either citizens or green card holders.
The report highlights that the overall number of these births is the highest recorded since 2010, when Pew estimated approximately 325,000 such cases. It also marks the third consecutive year of growth in these figures.
Supporters of stricter immigration enforcement argue that existing policies encourage people in the country illegally or temporarily to have children in the United States. Brandy Perez Carbaugh of the Heritage Foundation said that, under what she described as a flawed interpretation of birthright citizenship, these children automatically gain citizenship and may later access public benefits such as nutrition assistance programs, welfare support, specialized English education services, and financial aid for college.
She also pointed to what she called gaps in emergency Medicaid coverage, arguing that some states provide prenatal care and delivery services funded by taxpayers, which she says reduces medical costs for undocumented immigrants while increasing public spending.
Critics of current policy argue that these outcomes place financial strain on American taxpayers while offering legal and economic advantages to the parents of U.S.-born children.
The broader legal debate is now before the Supreme Court, which began hearing arguments on April 1 in Trump v. Barbara. The case challenges President Trump’s executive order seeking to restrict birthright citizenship, a protection that has been associated with the 14th Amendment since its adoption in 1868.
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