Posted on 02/28/2007 5:49:12 PM PST by T.L.Sink
The Lone Star State has long welcomed Latino immigrants, no matter how they got across the state's 1200 mile border with Mexico. Back when California voted to cut public services to illegal immigrants, then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush was preaching that illegal immigrants were equal players in the state's economy. But the atmosphere has changed markedly in Texas, home to about 10% of the nation's illegal immigrants. Now, a growing chorus of Republicans and some Democrats is pushing some of the harshest immigration-related measures in the United States -- laws that would not only deny public services to illegal immigrants but strip their American-born children of benefits as well. "The Texas bill could be a vehicle to get this before the courts, and we strongly support that," said Ira Mehlman, a spokesman for American Immigration Reform, which has been pushing Congress to revisit the Fourteenth Amendment. "There's no question that it's time for a review, given the number of people entering the country illegally and giving birth."
"A pregnant illegal can wait at the border, check into a hospital in Texas, give birth without paying a penny, and be rewarded for her illegal behaviour,"[State Rep.] Berman said. "That's outrageous."
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
WOW, what a country!!
No problem with this type of behavior. Nothing illegal being done in the name of a child.....Hey mexico, thanks for helping to drive America down.....signed ossamy bin hiden.
I agree and I think he's helped to split the Republican party. The Dems have always been hopeless on this issue but I think if we had REAL executive leadership the House bill of the last Congress could by now be legislation.
The fact is that many Republican business interests (Chamber of Commerce, et al.) love those low wages with no basic benefits and the Democrats see this as a golden opportunity to pander to the illegal vote. And, in effect, they all say to hell with the American culture and its values.
It is easy to tell who the wasps are. America and Americans are the 'tomato hornworm'
Answer: there is too much risk that people who should be entitled to citizenship (by general consensus even here on FR) at some point in the future could be prevented from attaining citizenship.
Yet again, more effort should be put into preventing illegal aliens from coming, and thus preventing anchor babies.
Do you think amending the constitution to address this is realistic?
and besides the process is bin laden tested and approved, I'd bet.
Thanks, and very interesting. Forgive my ignorance, but who is Bob Stump and is he still in Congress? I like his proposal but have some questions about it re: no constitutional amendment being necessary.
Would you like to hear the references I made from that best-selling book about the Fourteenth Amendment and the illegal invasion?
I'm no constitutional scholar but these arguments seem valid to me. At the very least, let's get the issue before the people and the courts!
I see what you're saying now, but this is not how it's working and you know it won't be done. Instead the illegals use the anchor babies as their basis to stay in the U.S. and that is a reward for their illegal actions. The way to eliminate this reward is to eliminate the automatic granting of citizenship of the children of people in this country illegally.
Section One of the 14th Amendment was written to clarify the citizenship status of the newly freed slaves. It was interpreted to give citizenship to the children of illegal aliens, and that interpretation can just as easily be reversed, or better yet, the law can clarified as suggested in post #3-that children born in this country to parents here illegally share the citizenship of their parents.
The Constitution states: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside."
. . subject to the jurisdiction thereof is also subject to interpretation, legislative definition, and further judicial findings. Just because it has been accepted that way does not mean it's constitutional.
When a Mexican is born here or is arrested in the USA the Mexican government insists it has certain rights to act on that person's behalf. So one could say that those born here are not fully subject to American jurisdiction. Likewise and uncontested is the fact that children born to diplomats and foreign military stationed in the USA are not automatically US citizens, even though the conditions of their birth do not differ from that of an illegal.
While a constitutional amendment would be the cleanest (and most difficult) solution, a re-interpretation of the existing amendment or a legislative imposition could fix the problem overnight, but no one has the guts to try it.
Ironically, the Democrats in Congress and Republican Tom Davis want to give the District of Columbia a vote in Congress even though the Constitution expressly limits Congressional representation to the states.
To quote a legal expert, when it come to what citizenship is depends on what the meaning of is is.
You might want to check the true origin of this Amendment.
from Frontpage
1. The Fourteenth Amendment excludes the children of aliens. (The Slaughterhouse Cases (83 U.S. 36 (1873)
2. The Fourteenth Amendment draws a distinction between the children of aliens and children of citizens. (Minor v. Happersett (88 U.S. 162 (1874)
3.The phrase "subject to the jurisdiction" requires "direct and immediate allegiance" to the United States, not just physical presence. (Elk v. Wilkins 112 U.S. 94 (1884))
4.There is no automatic birthright citizenship in a particular case. (Wong Kim Ark Case, 169 U.S. 649 (1898))
5. The Supreme Court has never confirmed birthright citizenship for the children of illegal aliens, temporary workers, and tourists. (Plyler v. Doe, 457 U.S. 202, 211 n.10 (1982))
14 posted on 02/27/2007 3:00:53 PM PST by Patriot Hooligan
I'm afraid to think too much about that metaphor! Still, I think it's a good one and maybe it should keep us all awake. Or wake us up (?).
Bob Stump was a Congressman from Arizona ( I think Trent Franks has his district now ) who retired from the Congress in 2003.
Probably got fed up with being a sane person in an otherwise insane group.
Numbers and culture.
"All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside."
The key phrase is "subject to the jurisdiction thereof" Illegals are under the jurisdiction of their native country.
As stated before the writers of the Amendment clearly stated that they did not intend for the Amendment to give citizenship the the children of Aliens. I will find and post the quote later. Also don't we have the same problem as the Romans in that the Mexican illegals are depended on for cheap labor but are not encouraged to assimilate? In fact we are going out of our way to make it easier for them not to.
>>Do you think amending the constitution to address this is realistic?<<
If you are asking if I think there are enough politicians in Congress who have the wisdom and foresight to see this threat to our very existence as a nation, and will do something to stop it, the answer is no.
Our politicians on both sides of the aisle are racing to sell us out, starting with the President.
Here is the quote I promised.
"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."
Senator Jacob Howard,
co-author of the citizenship clause of the 14th Amendment, 1866.
You mean an American born illegally is still an illegal alien.
Just wanted to correct that.
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