Posted on 02/15/2010 9:38:26 AM PST by NormsRevenge
Republican lawmakers in Congress are sponsoring a bill that seeks to abolish birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to illegal immigrant parents.
Federal law automatically grants citizenship to any person born on American soil, regardless of the immigration status of the child's parents.
Supporters of the bill say that many people come to this country for the express purpose of having children who are American citizens, making the family eligible for welfare and other government benefits.
"You have many people coming to this country illegally," said Rep. Gary Miller, R-Brea, a co-sponsor of the legislation. "They come to this country and have babies. The children are citizens. The children are eligible to go to school. They receive food stamps and social programs. The American taxpayers are paying for it."
The bill does not seek to change the Constitution, which grants birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment ratified in 1868.
Instead, it would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to clarify the interpretation of the 14th Amendment.
The measure would limit birthright citizenship to children born to at least one parent who is either a citizen, lawful permanent resident or actively serving in the U.S. military. The legislation would only apply prospectively and would not affect the citizenship status of people born before the bill's enactment.
If the bill passes, people on both sides of the issue say it is likely to be challenged on constitutional grounds.
"This bill is unconstitutional," said Rep. Joe Baca, D-San Bernardino. "It would change one of the most basic principles that our nation was founded on: If you were born in the United States, you're an American."
Baca accused the bill's sponsors of playing election-year politics.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailybulletin.com ...
Agree with both your posts!
But you'll hold me, an American, responsible for the actions of the illegal parents. You'll force me, at the point of a gun, to pay for the needs of these children.
So the children of foreign grad students who are merely here temporarily should be considered US citizens? Should the children born to foreign military personnel undergoing training in the US be considered US citizens? There was actually a terrorist who claimed US citizenship due to his birth in the US in the 1970's when his father who was in the Saudi military was undergoing training here. I think that for a child to have birthright citizenship, at least one of the parents must be a US citizen or be a permanent resident of the US. Tourist and other temporary visas should not be the basis for birthright citizenship.
Our would be kritocrats decreed it based on neither the words nor intent of the amendment. The ruling has no validity in a Constitutional Republic, it is a farce and an affront.
Otherwise sensible Republicans have personally told me that immigration is ".....in the American Tradition, the way we built the country yadda, yadda, yadda....." For years none other than Rush Limbaugh was telling his listeners that "....illgeal immigration was the sign of a healthy economy... " Thankfully he has dropped the US Chamber of Commerce Bullshiite and jumped on the anti-illegal bandwagon.
They forgot the words "legal," and "European." They lost sight of the numbers, as if the legal immigration a million Poles and 3 million Irish over a 150-year period is the same thing as some 35 Million Mexicans since 1965. They are STILL endlessly repeating their phony number of 11 Million illegals. LOL. That's LA County!
Add up all of European immigration since 1800, throw in the number of African Americans here then, and since freed, and STILL, the numbers are dwarfed by recent immigration from the South.
We are simply very far down the path toward becoming a Latin-ized country, with two languages and a very mixed population and culture. You mentioned Brazil?
That's where the next wave of illegals is coming from, and with a population 3 times that of Mexico.
No, I am not saying that. There are cases under the current interpretations of the laws where those kids are considered to be citizens just as American kids born to military parents in some foreign countries have the right to claim citizenship in that country. I don’t think that any child born of foreign parents; legal or illegal should be considered for U.S. citizenship or as U.S. citizens. They are citizens of the country of their parents.
I don’t disagree with you. My contention was simply that, if we continue to grant birthright citizenship regardless of the nationality of the parents, there is no legal basis for treating children born of illegal aliens as superior to children born of foreigners who are legally present in this nation. That’s all.
And yet it is the law. Go figure?
Which is no nation at all, but a Balkanized and explosive disaster waiting to happen.
Not the America we were born into, or the one we voted for.
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