Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and a few other top Republicans have jumped on the issue and called for hearings.
The senators said their concerns arose from recent reports of a burgeoning "birth tourism" industry, which helps expectant mothers travel to the United States to deliver their babies. They [the senators] also said that birthright citizenship, which is granted by the 14th amendment of the Constitution, provides an incentive for people to enter the country illegally.
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ARE THESE PEOPLE SERIOUS???
This blogger believes in controlled immigration. He believes any country has a right to control its borders and the integrity of its interior. But, JesusJosephandMary! A baby has a right to be a citizen of the country he is born in! It isn't the baby's fault what his parents do, and babies shouldn't be used as some sort of anti-illegal immigration pawn.
Control the borders. Make immigrants immigrate the way you want them to. But... god this makes me mad... if there is really such a thing as an "unalienable right" it is the right to be a citizen of the land upon which one is born.
Just stop it Graham. Just stop it McCain. If you want to "hold hearings," then hold hearings on how to compel the president to do his job. Or hold hearings on how to limit terms of geezer senators. Leave the innocent babies alone.
Some people (in California, at least) have expressed outrage that (indigent) Mexican mothers (who have successfully made it through Obama's porous borders) are allowed to give birth in U.S. hospitals, without having to show proof of citizenship, and having the birth paid for by the U.S. taxpayer under Medicaid. I say that ANY mother who shows up ready to give birth, at any hospital in the USA, should not have to speak English or should not have to show proof of citizenship. Why? Because it is already too late to talk about illegal immigration at that point; her child is obviously already an American citizen and has the right to be properly attended to. That's why. Get over it.
What do you know? I agree with you.
ReplyDeletePlaying politics with children - reprehensible no matter who's doing it.
I don't agree with you.
ReplyDeleteI think a child who is born to parents who have the status of foreign nationals, should have the citizenship of the parental nationality.
Let us consider the circumstance you state.
Let us consider a child born to American parents whilst they are in, say, Germany.
That child, conceived and gestated by all-american bodies, becomes, in the moment of drawing its first breath, a German.
When its parents return to the U.S., is the child an alien? does it need a visa? A work permit? Green card?
Or might it be refused entry?.
@Stephanie Barr - You are finally coming to your senses. Agreeing with me shows your superior intelligence. :)
ReplyDelete@Soubriquet - Of course a child is a citizen of his parent's country, or perhaps more than one country if his parents are from two countries. I suppose I thought that too obvious to talk about. The real point is whether the child is ALSO a citizen of the country he is born in, and a movement is apparently underway to say this will no longer be true if a child (who is also about to be a citizen of Mexico) of non-citizens is born in the U.S.
It will never ever come to pass though, so that conjecture is a waste of time by the good senators.
I'm not sure about Germany, but here and in Mexico, a child becomes a U.S. citizen as well as being a citizen of his parent's country. Mexico makes a pretty big deal out of this point, encouraging its American-born citizens to send money to relatives in Mexico and even encouraging (certain) Americans to vote in Mexican elections, constantly reminding them they are still Mexican citizens. Viva reconquista.