13 million undocumented children in  the USA

WASHINGTON, February 8 (PL).—Poverty and other problems are affecting 13 million children of undocumented residents in the United States, according to a report published today by the New Urban Institute.

The report from the Washington-located center notes that the migratory status of their parents means that millions are not in receipt of benefits for which they are eligible.

Many of the issues to be discussed by Congress this year, including health, education and access to government services, are disproportionately affecting the children of immigrants.

Titled The Health and Well-Being of Children in Immigrant Families, the text reveals that, of the 5.1 million children aged under six, 93% are US citizens, but more than 30% of their parents were born outside the countries and do not have documents.

These children tend to live in conditions of poverty, as opposed to the descendants of parents born in the United States.

Randy Capps, the main researcher involved in the study, states that the children have to face a low-income environment, a linguistic barrier because their parents do not possess English-language skills and on occasion, only one of them is working.

According to statistics, immigrants in the United States comprise 11% of the total population and their children are 22% of 23.4 million minors aged under six.

Capps believes that one of the most important challenges for the children of immigrants is their parents’ low income.

Undocumented parents are more exposed to exploitation and although their children have rights and are eligible for certain social programs, they are reluctant to seek public assistance or do not enroll them in programs out of fear for their immigration status.

The report reveals that the children of immigrants take up fewer public benefits than the children of US-born parents, even though their families confront greater economic difficulties.

This report highlights the essential need for public program medical insurance for the children of immigrant families, stated Hilda Solís, president of the Congress Hispanic Group.

Instead of cutting back on Medicaid, we should be redoubling our efforts to inform families whose children are citizens and thus eligible for this kind of medical coverage, she added.