anchor baby

American  

[ang-ker bey-bee] / ˈæŋ kər ˌbeɪ bi /

noun

Disparaging and Offensive.

1. a term used to refer to a baby born to an undocumented mother in a country where the baby becomes a citizen at birth, especially when the birth is planned to facilitate eventual legal residency for the family.

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Usage

What does anchor baby mean? An anchor baby is an offensive slang term for a child intentionally born in the United States from a foreign mother so the child receives U.S. citizenship, and so the family can get residency.

Etymology

Origin of anchor baby

First recorded in 1995–2000; from the parents' intent to “anchor” themselves and not be deported

Example Sentences

During the last election, Trump repeated the words “anchor baby” gratuitously on the campaign trail, giving the phrase even more air.

From The Guardian

When Donald Trump launched his campaign for the 2016 presidential election, his signature policy agenda around immigration often leaned into the “anchor baby” fallacy.

From The Guardian

In the end, the so-called “anchor baby” pathway to citizenship is at least a 26-year endeavor, even for those who entered the US legally.

From The Guardian

Supporters of 187, including then-Republican Gov. Pete Wilson, invoked the ugly stereotype of the “anchor baby,” the idea that immigrant mothers, especially Mexicans, illegally enter the United States in droves to give birth at U.S. taxpayers’ expense, with the goal of securing citizenship and other public benefits for themselves and their babies.

From Los Angeles Times

Text labels the children as “anchor baby” and the mothers as “immigrant.”

From Fox News