Most American immigrants, documented or not, don’t have my father’s educational background or professional training. But what my family and all American immigrants have in common is the desire to improve their families’ lives. They share the bravery of giving up the known for the unknown. They share the optimism that the future can be better than the past, that our lives are what we make of them, and that our actions control our destiny.

What they don’t share is the concept of privilege, the idea that an “anchor baby” creates an entitlement to a better life without working for it. Donald Trump has said that once an “anchor baby” is born “for the next 80 years we have to take care of the baby.” That’s simply not true. Most immigrants, even undocumented ones, work hard and pay their way.

According to a study released in April by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, undocumented workers paid nearly $12 billion in state and local taxes in 2012. The Social Security Administration estimates that in 2010 they paid $12 billion more into the Social Security program than they will take out. I know my parents never asked for anything other than the opportunity to work hard and live free. They always paid their way and so do I.

I have met many immigrants from many backgrounds, but I’ve never met one who wanted to become an American to live off of welfare.