‘Anchor Baby’ Is A Hateful Term, Says Clinton Campaign: GOP Candidates Who Use It Are Attacking US Citizens
Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign is condemning Republicans for using what it calls hateful rhetoric around immigration, especially for using the term “anchor baby.”
When a reporter took issue with Jeb Bush’s use of “anchor baby,” Bush testily replied, “You give me a better term and I’ll use it.”
Clinton shot back this Twitter response to Bush’s request.
How about "babies," "children," or "American citizens." https://t.co/ofxEG6Za00
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) August 20, 2015
Hillary Clinton’s Latino Outreach Director released a statement condemning the use of “anchor baby” to describe a child born to undocumented immigrants in the U.S.
“Jeb Bush tried to outdo Donald Trump and other Republican presidential candidates by doubling down on the hateful term ‘anchor baby’ when referring to the U.S. born children of immigrants. It’s a disgrace to see these candidates attack a group of American citizens who not only have the same rights as everybody else in this country but also represent the very values this country was built on.”
According to PoliticsUSA.com, Jeb Bush is well aware that he is offending some while currying favor with others. Bush, “as co-chair of the Hispanic Leadership Network, he signed off on a memo that warned conservatives that the term anchor baby could be viewed as offensive.”
It’s very clear when you read the Network’s memo, which outlines suggested strategies for conservatives.
“When talking about immigrants:
Do use ‘undocumented immigrant’ when referring to those here without documentation
Don’t use the word ‘illegals’ or ‘aliens’
Don’t use the term ‘anchor baby'”
The Clinton campaign posted this video with Spanish subtitles, trying to show that Bush is just as extreme as Trump in his insulting use of “anchor babies.”
In the video, the soundtrack has Bush saying what he thinks is needed.
“better enforcement so you don’t have these, um, you know, anchor babies as they are described, coming into the country.”
New York Magazine reported that while Bobby Jindal seemed to support Donald Trump’s insistence on using the term “anchor baby,” candidate Marco Rubio carefully avoided backing Trump’s stance by saying that these are “human beings with stories.”
The 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution declares that babies born on U.S. soil are automatically full citizens. Donald Trump recently said he doesn’t think the law would stand up in court.
Trump and other Republicans are outraged by the allegedly frequent practice of pregnant women coming over the border a couple of days before the birth in order to have an “anchor baby” to establish the family in the country. This so-called anchor baby would have to wait until he or she was 21 years old to even begin the process of sponsoring his parents for citizenship.
Hillary Clinton’s campaign agrees with the Latino Americans who find the label “anchor baby” offensive and insulting.
[Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images]
