Well shucks..... There go about 15 or 20 million RAT voters....
Posted on 03/02/2005 9:38:45 AM PST by Happy2BMe
Bill would deny U.S. citizenship to children of illegal immigrants
A bill recently introduced in Congress would deny U.S. citizenship to children born to illegal immigrants. Supporters said the bill, called the Citizenship Reform Act of 2005, would be a good way to control the number of people who have the right to claim citizenship ---- and the rights and benefits that come with it. Opponents said the measure was "extreme" and would be likely to face constitutional challenges.
An estimated 200,000 to 300,000 children are born to illegal immigrants in the United States each year, according to the Center for Immigration Studies, a policy and research group that advocates for stricter immigration controls.
The Federation for American Immigration Reform, a group that also supports stricter policies, estimated that California spends about $7.7 billion each year to educate about 1 million children of illegal immigrants.
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"Citizenship means you have some stake in this country; it's not just an accident of geography," said Ira Mehlman, a spokesman of the federation, which supports the measure.
However, immigrant-rights groups say that citizenship is a fundamental right that cannot be taken away by Congress.
"Citizenship belongs to a person wherever they are born," said Katherine Cullion, an attorney with the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund, a Latino rights group. "The most basic, fundamental right is the right to citizenship in the country where you were born."
Advocates for and against the measure, which has surfaced in various forms before, said the bill is unlikely to go far in Congress. The bill is now in the House Judiciary Committee. No hearing on the bill has been scheduled.
"This is really a perennial bill; it comes up each spring," said Angela Kelley, deputy director of the National Immigration Forum, an immigrant-rights advocacy group based in Washington, D.C. "It gets a handful of co-sponsors and never sees the light of day."
If enacted, the bill would stipulate that children born in the United States would be considered American citizens only if born to parents who are citizens or legal residents living in the country. Under current law, any children born in the country can claim American citizenship.
The bill was introduced last month by Georgia Republican Rep. Nathan Deal and was co-sponsored by 16 other representatives, including Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach; Rep. Gary Miller, R-Diamond Bar; and Tom Tancredo, R-Colorado.
Anti-illegal immigrant groups, such as the Federation for American Immigration Reform, say immigration, legal and illegal, is largely responsible for a population explosion that could lead to unprecedented social, economic and environmental problems.
"Massive population growth has and will continue to have a profound impact on the lives of all Americans," said Dan Stein, president of the federation. The group released a study this week that indicated more than half of the nation's population growth over the last 35 years is due to immigration.
However, Steven Camarota, the Center for Immigration Studies' director of research, said the citizenship bill itself will not solve the nation's illegal immigration problem. Without immigration enforcement elsewhere, such as at the border and at work sites, denying citizenship to the children of illegal immigrants would only make the number of illegal immigrants grow.
"By itself, it doesn't move the ball forward very much, if at all," Camarota said.
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Most of those cases occur when drug dealing or some other felony has been perpetrated by the parent.
The key to this invasion is enforcing existing laws on the books. Prosecuting indidviduals that hire illegal aliens would help also.
There is some question as to whether someone who has no recognized identity and isn't even supposed to be here can be 'subject to jurisdiction' of the US.
Perhaps all we really need is a clear reading from the courts that this is the case. Wishful thinking.
All Congress would have to do is include in the bill a section saying that this issue is not reviewable by the federal courts and there is not a dang thing the Supreme Court could do about it.
I disagree. The Supreme Court, since Marbury v Madison, has assumed supreme authority over the other two branches of government. The Constitution is, in fact, irrelevant to the Supreme Court. (/sarcasm)
The Supremes will rule it "unconstitutional"...
and if it isn't they'll make up a reason! LOL
"There is some question as to whether someone who has no recognized identity and isn't even supposed to be here can be 'subject to jurisdiction' of the US."
Subject to the jurisdiction means subject to the laws of the US which every person in the US is except foreign diplomats.
Damned good idea. We need a number of restrictions on citizenship.
So9
Well shucks..... There go about 15 or 20 million RAT voters....
Actually the U.S. is one of very few countries which grant citizenship just on the basis of having been born within its borders. Perhaps this woman should focus her attention on all those countries that already fail to recognize what she claims is a "basic, fundamental right".
This is total BS. If they cared so much, the borders would be secured and this bill would be unnecessary.
Anyone supporting this bill needs to step back, take a deep breath and exercise their mind.
FIRST, Lets control our borders.
"Maybe Arizona will be able to keep some of the border area hospitals open if the illegals can't pop out "lil" citizens anymore. It's about time."
Exactly how would this bill prevent pregnancy?
Except for the minor fact that the Constitution trumps that law. Sorry, you lose.
The last thing our military wants is draftee cannonfodder. Any alien who wants citizenship can enlist directly and earn it, but thiose who haven't volunteered before being caught, should just be permanently marked and deported.
SO9
I say it's about time, something needs to be done..... but I won't hold my breath!
Obviously, Mr. Deal has never heard of the 14th Amendment.
Funny how some people are never happy no matter what happens. One step at a time will result in far more being done than trying for everything all at once.
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