• If you are having problems logging in please use the Contact Us in the lower right hand corner of the forum page for assistance.

Birthright Citizenship Debate

Mike

Well-known member
WASHINGTON –Babies born in the United States to non-citizen parents would no longer be automatically granted citizenship under a proposal debated Wednesday in Congress.

Eliminating what is known as birthright citizenship is an especially controversial piece of the immigration debate. One side argues it is a constitutionally protected part of American heritage, and the other says it is a magnet for illegal immigration.

Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., chairman of the House Judiciary subcommittee on immigration, conducted a hearing on the legal theory that the citizenship clause of the 14th Amendment was never intended to cover children born to undocumented aliens while they are in the country.

Gowdy, a conservative who has tried to broker some compromise with Democrats on immigration issues, did not take a position on birthright citizenship and called it only an "interesting legal debate."

The citizenship clause is in the 14th Amendment to the Constitution and was passed after the Civil War to override a Supreme Court decision and make sure the children of freed slaves were considered citizens.

The amendment states that "all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside."

But some argue that the clause should not apply to babies born to people who are in the country illegally.

Lino Graglia, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin School of law, testified Wednesday that the authors of the 14th Amendment could not have intended to cover children of non-citizens because "there were no illegal aliens in 1868 because there were no restrictions on immigration."

"The Constitution should not be interpreted to require an absurdity," Graglia said in his prepared testimony.

The idea of eliminating birthright citizenship has been around for years but previous legislation has not come close to passing. Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, and Sen. David Vitter, R-La., have both introduced proposals this year to limit birthright citizenship.

King's bill would limit it to those born in the U.S. with at least one parent who is a U.S. citizen; a legal permanent resident; or an immigrant in active military service.
 

Steve

Well-known member
I do not think laws alone would stop birthright citizenship.. in my opinion the only way to deny anyone citizenship would be with a Constitutional amendment, and that will not happen.. for now and any time soon it will be bienvenido cariño and all the relatives that can claim we are ripping apart their family be enforcing existing law
 

Faster horses

Well-known member
Steve said:
I do not think laws alone would stop birthright citizenship.. in my opinion the only way to deny anyone citizenship would be with a Constitutional amendment, and that will not happen.. for now and any time soon it will be bienvenido cariño and all the relatives that can claim we are ripping apart their family be enforcing existing law


In other words, we are just stuck. :?
 
Top