Bill Would Eliminate Birthright Citizenship

[catman]

Bill Would Eliminate Birthright Citizenship
Thursday, November 24, 2005

LOS ANGELES ? Birthright citizenship is the right in which babies born in the United States, even to parents in the country illegally, automatically become American citizens.

Critics call them anchor babies, and say the laws should be changed to prevent automatic citizenship that could, in the end, reward illegal immigrants.

Click in the video box to the right to watch a report by FOX News' Trace Gallagher.

"By granting the child citizenship, that child then is able, down the road, as he becomes an adult, to legally make the parents citizens of this country as well," said Rep. Nathan Deal, R-Ga.

Now, a bill sponsored by Deal is gaining support in Congress. It would deny automatic citizenship to children born to undocumented immigrants.

"The idea that somebody could come here, five minutes later give birth and have a brand new United States citizen is simply something that most people in their gut feel is wrong," said Ira Mehlman, a spokesman at the Federation for American Immigration Reform.

"It would be just wrong for us to deny such a basic right to just this population," said Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, or CHIRLA.

Critics of the plan also warn that denying birthright citizenship to illegal immigrants could result in a divided culture such as the one that was demonstrated so vividly in the recent wave of arsons and vandalism in France.

The 14th Amendment states, in part, that "all persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the U.S." Backers of birthright policy say changing the way that clause is interpreted would be unconstitutional and un-American.

"It goes against a tradition of really integrating immigrants into our society in order to unify us as a nation, and what it actually does, it further marginalizes a whole community," Salas said.

Deal says supporters are missing the meaning of the phrase "subject to the jurisdiction thereof," which he argues excludes anyone in the United States in violation of the law ? like illegal immigrants.

"If you look at the original debate of that amendment in the Congress, it was obviously not intended to give carte blanche birthright citizenship to anyone who happened to be born on American soil," Deal said.

Provisions to drop automatic citizenship are also part of several other immigration reform plans circulating on Capitol Hill, and the idea is gaining public support. A recent poll shows 49 percent of Americans oppose automatic citizenship for everyone born on U.S. soil with only 41 percent in favor.

[BLUEHAWK]

If the law clearly states that children of those who are NOT here legally will be denied citizenship, then what could possibly be wrong with that?

Of course, then the probability of an illegal having a child with a citizen would increase.

[82Rigger]

So, lessee if I understand this correctly...

Every time an illegal alien gives birth, we'll have ANOTHER illegal alien.

We're going to create an ILLEGAL ALIEN factory.

Oh, good! MORE illegal aliens!

[catman]

I guess my take on it was this, and bear in mind, you really have to want to see my view....this is the first step, in many, many needed steps, to take back our country.

I do not think it will come quickly or easily, but it is coming.

Trav

[Packo]

Almost all countries have stopped the "born here citizen automatically" thing long ago. Our statue of Liberty is a little outdated. The hand holding the torch should be sticking straight out saying " Hold on, we just can't do it anymore". Our founding fathers never for-saw what is happening now. I have no problem with changing the rules, you enter illegally, your child ain't no automatic citizen......period! It's time for a change.

Pack

[82Rigger]

Trav,

I do see your point of view.

But I'm wondering about those OTHER steps.

Illegal aliens provide a LOT of cheap benefit-free and perk-free labor for some rather influential American business people. And maybe politicians????

How long before those OTHER steps happen?

If we are going to have them increasing , why not make productive, useful Americans out of them? Let them add VALUE to the country.

I'm all for LEGAL immigration, but what do we do about our BORDERS?

[82Rigger]

Sir Packo,

I have no problem with change...as long as it ain't "Let's do SOMETHING, even if it's wrong."

So, what do other countries do about aliens?

Do they have no illegals coming over their borders?

Are there any lessons to be learned from other nations?

[Chas H]

Rigger, we are in a unique situation. There's not that many countries that are worth sneaking into. Those that are tend to be small and have had their borders secured for centuries.
Many or most countries have what amounts to a federal ID card (your papers please!) and the machine gun carrying police can and do hold routine stops to check documents. I've been through it in Europe.
Having a pool of cheap labor is not bad, but it's also not the problem. Illegals seeking work are not the threat, it is illegals seeking to do mischief.

[82Rigger]

Well, I don't see how we can seal our borders...look at how long the border is between Texas and Mexico.
Florida doesn't have any foreign borders, but they come in by boat.

And apparently ID papers ain't the answer to "mischief makers" vis all the bombings in Spain, France, and Germany.

Annex Mexico. Make em ALL US citizens. Then tax hell out of em like they do the rest of us.