The Senators passing the Amendment, at the time, seem to have felt that it would declare the children of foreigners TEMPORARILY in the country to be citizens. They don't seem to have contemplated the issue of illegal aliens.
So yes, I agree with you that the intention was not to allow illegal aliens to drop babies here and have them be citizens.
Historically, if you go back into the origin of our rule of citizenship, it required "allegiance" or "obedience." I think prohibiting the children of illegal aliens from being US citizens at birth is certainly within the spirit of the citizenship rule, and it might even clear the "subject to the jurisdiction of the United States" hurdle of the 14th Amendment. I'm not sure whether it would or wouldn't, but Congress could pass such a law and then we could hand it over to the courts to find out.
Are you still keeping that comprehensive list of all Obama’s constitutional violations? I know how much it pains you, when he uses the Constitution for t-paper.
The problem is, as Coolidge once wrote - either the Constitution is the highest law of the land, or it is not.
The Fourteenth - the purpose was to provide citizenship for slaves (who most certainly were born here), and for those who had, up until then - been born outside America, and were presently residing in territory that was now America. This is the only good way to accomplish both of these goals at the same time.
Basing it on the citizenship of your parents, would have lead to a permanent underclass (a-la Europe). Something - at the time, was not what America granted. Is it radical to provide citizenship to someone without regard to their country of origin? Absolutely - but that is part of what made America what it is.
There is absolutely no need to ‘enforce’ things this way. Enforce immigration laws by deportation. This is just a fool’s errand that has deep and long lasting consequences. Negative ones that serve to help no one whatsoever.