Citizenship by birthright up for debate

AP ^ | 5/22/6 | GIOVANNA DELL'ORTO

[pissant]

Here is what the debate should be. "Is it a good idea?"

Answer: Hell no.

Get rid of it.

[Borges]

Doesn't the highlighted part already exempt illegal ailens?

"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."

[mtbopfuyn]

Bu with the volume of illegals' and their anchor babies, it should be changed.

[conserv13]

Alberto Gonzalez, the Attorney General of the USA, had illegal grandparents. Should his citizenship be revoked?

[Txsleuth]

bttt

[Barney Gumble]

Indeed. Freedom of speech doesn't give you the right to yell fire in a crowded theater either.

[pissant]

Going forward is more important than the past. Alberto's parents came here illegally, but that does not mean going forward, we prevent such incursions.

[pgyanke]

Is he illegal now or has he been naturalized? Nice try at a strawman...

[Barney Gumble]

Well, he'd be grandfathered in.

[conserv13]

He was naturalized because of the law that some want to have changed. He is an 'anchor baby'. I guess you don't want to make it retroactive.

[pissant]

"we prevent such incursions" SHOULD read----"we NOT prevent such incustions"

[martinidon]

There is no way congress can get the votes to change this so any efforts to make this an issue is wasted. All energy and efforts should be focused on securing the border. If we secure the border this issue becomes moot!

[Publius6961]

About 2 million families face the risk of being split up because the children are U.S.-born citizens but the parents are illegal immigrants. At least one lawmaker has proposed ending citizenship by birthright, restricting automatic citizenship at birth to children of U.S. citizens and legal residents.

This is a fraudulent statement from the get-go. No family faces the risk of being split up. Certainly no rational normal family. Any dicision to do so, and it is an individual decision, is the parents'. Period.
In fact, any "family" who would abandon a minor to safeguard an illegally obtained immigration status is guilty of child abuse, pure and simple.

But to get to the crux of the problem, yes, the "born here" right of citizenship should have been eliminated a long time ago.
How absurd is this scenario (not that far-fetched)?

A sleeper "family" is sent by the ROP to eventually perform an act of mass murder against Americans. It doesn't matter if they arrive legally or overstay a tourist or student visa. The female gives birth in the United States.

Can anyone argue that in fact the child automatically should be a citizen of the United States of America? How insane is that?

[Tequila25]

The number of Americans who can't answer basic questions about how the government works makes me doubt the benefits of giving automatic citizenship to _anyone_ based on birth.

"Service Guarantees Citizenship" doesn't sound like such a bad idea anymore.

[Txsleuth]

This article sounded way too sympathetic towards the illegals..

When it said no one knows how many actually come here to have anchor babies...they obviously haven't visited Parkland Hospital in Dallas Texas...

I think about 99% of the babies born there are from illegals..

[conserv13]

This will be tied up in the courts forever.

[Polybius]

Doesn't the highlighted part already exempt illegal ailens?................. "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."

Up until 1924, that clause excluded even American Indians born on U.S. soil.

It required the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924, to have the law recognize American Indians born on U.S. soil as U.S. citizens by birth.

[Publius6961]

Doesn't the highlighted part already exempt illegal ailens?

Apparently not.
"... subject to the jurisdiction of ..." may have been crystal clear some time in the distant past, but I suspect that a dozen legal jurisdictions scattered throughout the United States would arrive at as many conflicting opinions as are possible about what it means, today.

So, no. One can't say that illegals are exempted...

[Publius6961]

Alberto Gonzalez, the Attorney General of the USA, had illegal grandparents. Should his citizenship be revoked?

Don't be silly.
Were his parents legal residents when he was born?