U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal, a Republican candidate for governor of Georgia, has proposed changing the long-standing federal policy that automatically grants citizenship to any baby born on U.S. soil, a move opposed by immigrant rights advocates.
Supporters of Deal’s proposal say “birthright citizenship” encourages illegal immigration and makes enforcement of immigration laws more difficult. Opponents say the proposed law wouldn’t solve the illegal immigration problem and goes against this country’s traditions of welcoming immigrants.
“This is a sensible, overdue measure that closes a clause that was never meant to be a loophole,” said Bob Dane, spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which seeks tighter immigration restrictions.
Under Deal’s proposal, babies born in the U.S. would automatically have citizenship only if at least one of their parents is a U.S. citizen or national, a legal permanent resident of the U.S., or actively serving in the U.S. military.
#35, you are obviously a genius Patso, using up so much space to say what we are already perfectly clear about.
#38, heh, one of the first things he did was make it easier for unions to come in and take over a workplace. If he’s trying to reduce unemployment, he sure picks dumb ways to go about it.
I’ve lived in South Texas and it is very common that pregnant women from Mexico come across the border illegally to have their babies. This puts a huge strain on the border hospitals and the welfare system in these areas.
How many other countries in the world give you automatic citizenship just for being born there? Isn’t it usually your parents nationality that determines your citizenship in most countries?
Good idea. Most countries operate this way. Anchor babies away!
“Americans always seem to forget that we stole this country away from the natives that originally lived here.”
CORRECTION
I am so sick of hearing people bring that fantasy of “stole from Indians” into the discussion. We protected this country from complete hostile takeover from Nazi like forces that spring up like weeds all over the world. If “their land” hadn’t been divided up and “taken away” they would have been wiped out completely! Now regarding popping out Meximerican babies, MAKE IT ILLEGAL. It’s too late really as Mexicans stole back California, and middle America, and everywhere, but hey, it will make us feel a little better.
Patso, read it again.
‘subject to the jurisdiction thereof.’
#13, brm,
Once again you have shown you have yet to study history or even try verifying any facts.
For the first two decades of America’s existence, there was very little immigration due to the French Revolution, the Napoleonic Wars, and then the War of 1812. After 1820 immigration grew each year with mostly Irish immigrants, but also other Northern Europeans. By the 1850s annual immigration was in the hundreds of thousands.
This whole thing would probably be a non-issue if we actually enforced immigration laws and got rid of any judges that were blocking legit laws from being enforced.
#45 Indian springs,
“I am so sick of hearing people bring that fantasy of “stole from Indians” into the discussion.”
I for one would like to see you with the balls to go to an Native American reservation and tell that to them in their faces.
I love when whiners who cry about this stuff. There’s nothing wrong with allowing the child born in US borders from becoming a citizen. But that doesn’t mean the parents get to stay kick em out and take yer kid with ya. If he wants to come back fine, but mom and dad are out.
# 50 Breetai said, “But that doesn’t mean the parents get to stay kick em out and take yer kid with ya.”
There’s the rub. Judges block this type of thing. Thus, gov officials not following the law leads to this type of proposal.
#39 – jbenson2,
#37 voices a common misunderstanding: For both good and bad, this country is what it is because of immigration.
Immigration is not bad. All we ask is that the immigrants use the front door just like our ancestors did and stop jumping the line by illegally entering via the smugglers’ route.
My own ancestors did indeed follow the rules. However, a good friend of mine had a mother who was asked to join Daughters of the American Revolution and a paternal grandfather who jumped ship and swam ashore to live the rest of his life watching over his shoulder. Her grandfather worked his entire life. Her father became an engineer and teacher.
I think many of us whose ancestors came over long ago might find such characters in our past. Yes, even the illegal immigrants of years ago helped make this country what it is.
Oh, and the guy from Cuba who has twice modified vintage automobiles into seaworthy vessels and drove over from Cuba only to be turned away before reaching shore … I want him in this country. We need that kind of innovative mind.
# 41 Sea Lawyer said:
“#35, you are obviously a genius Patso,” [Why, thank you!] “using up so much space to say what we are already perfectly clear about.”
I didn’t believe many of the posters here (or in fact the honorable Representative Nathan Deal) understood just what was involved in changing this law. I give it a less than 6% chance of happening in the next decade.