Pulling Up Anchor

IBD Editorials ^ | October 20, 2010 | Investors Business Daily staff

[Kaslin]

Illegal Immigration: Lawmakers in 14 states are joining to restore the intended meaning of the 14th Amendment: that being a U.S. citizen requires more than just your mother sneaking past the Border Patrol.

The architect of Arizona's immigration law, SB2070, announced Tuesday a new crusade to correct what he perceives as an unfortunate misinterpretation of the 14th Amendment that allows children of illegal immigrant parents to be considered U.S. citizens if they're born on U.S. soil.

"This is a battle of epic proportions," Mesa Republican state Sen. Russell Pearce said. "We've allowed the hijacking of the 14th Amendment." He says allowing what are termed "anchor babies" because they make deportation difficult is an incentive to illegal immigration. "They use it as a wedge," he said. "This is an orchestrated effort by them to come here and have children to gain access to the great welfare state we've created."

Pearce's argument is that the wording in the amendment that guarantees citizenship to people born in the U.S. who are "subject to the jurisdiction" of this country does not apply to the children of illegal immigrants because such families don't owe sole allegiance to the U.S.

Appropriately enough, Pearce says legislators in 12 states are joining him in the effort to clarify the wording of the 14th Amendment: Alabama, Delaware, Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah.

Oklahoma Republican Randy Terrill is working on similar legislation in his state. "Currently, if you have a child born to two alien parents, that person is believed to be a U.S. citizen," Terrill told NPR. "When taken to its logical extreme, that would produce the absurd result that children of invading armies would be considered citizens of the U.S."

[kevslisababy]

Just imagine after the election; I think there will be several more states with republican majorities to push this along.

[jiggyboy]

"When taken to its logical extreme, that would produce the absurd result that children of invading armies would be considered citizens of the U.S."

In all seriousness, I'd say that the description of this "logical extreme" is the situation we're in. The intent is to take over; they just don't all carry guns.

[holyscroller]

Senator Pearce is pretty sharp. Any chance he’d ever run against McCainiac? Poor Arizona really needs a GOOD Senator!

[HiJinx]

Ping!

[Razz Barry]

Just imagine after the election; I think there will be several more states with republican majorities to push this along.

I think Georgia will join if Deal is elected governor.

[AuntB]

The current ‘interpretation’ of the 14th is wrong!

The man wrote the fourteenth’s citizenship clause, Sen. Jacob Howard of Michigan:

This amendment which I have offered [citizenship clause to the fourteenth amendment] is simply declaratory of what I regard as the law of the land already, that every person born within the limits of the United States, and subject to their jurisdiction, is by virtue of natural law and national law a citizen of the United States. This will not, of course, include persons born in the United States who are foreigners, aliens, who belong to the families of ambassadors or foreign ministers accredited to the Government of the United States, but will include every other class of persons. It settles the great question of citizenship and removes all doubt as to what persons are or are not citizens of the United States. This has long been a great desideratum in the jurisprudence and legislation of this country.[10]

http://idexer.com/articles/newt_14th.htmc