[Conscience of a Conservative]

No, the Fourteenth Amendment does NOT state that children of aliens are exempt. It says that all persons who are born in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States. The “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” language has NEVER been authoritatively interpreted as meaning that the children of aliens are not citizens under the Amendment.

[The Watcher]

No, the Fourteenth Amendment does NOT state that children of aliens are exempt. It says that all persons who are born in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States. The “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” language has NEVER been authoritatively interpreted as meaning that the children of aliens are not citizens under the Amendment.

But it should be.

I, hereby claim, sufficient wisdom, to read, understand, and make valid judgements about the Constitution.

I just interpreted it as saying that children of aliens are NOT citizens by mere chance of geographic position at birth.

The whole point of all of this was to NOT be like the British, who claimed all born on British governed soil to be subjects to the throne.

[panthermom]

Your are right, but how do does the Supreme Court interpret the Constitution without looking at the original intent of the people that actually wrote it?

During the original debate over the amendment, Senator Jacob Howard of Ohio, the author of the citizenship clause described the clause as . . . excluding not only Indians but “persons born in the United States who are foreigners, aliens, [or] who belong to the families of ambassadors or foreign ministers.”

Why is it we still don't allow children born to Ambassadors to be citizens, under your description they would be dual citizens no matter what.