Coming into the country for the express purpose of having a child inorder to anchor that child and yourself is, in effect, gaming the system.
U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal, a Republican candidate for governor ofGeorgia, has proposed changing the long-standing federal policy thatautomatically grants citizenship to any baby born on U.S. soil, a moveopposed by immigrant rights advocates.
Supporters of Deal’s proposal say “birthright citizenship”encourages illegal immigration and makes enforcement of immigrationlaws more difficult. Opponents say the proposed law wouldn’t solve theillegal immigration problem and goes against this country’s traditionsof welcoming immigrants.
Automatic citizenship is enshrined in the 14th Amendment of the U.S.Constitution, which says: “All persons born or naturalized in theUnited States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens ofthe United States and of the state wherein they reside.” Thatprovision, ratified in 1868, was drafted with freed slaves in mind.
Deal and his supporters say the 14th Amendment wording was nevermeant to automatically give citizenship to babies born to illegalimmigrants.
“This is a sensible, overdue measure that closes a clause that wasnever meant to be a loophole,” said Bob Dane, spokesman for theFederation for American Immigration Reform, which seeks tighterimmigration restrictions.
Under Deal’s proposal, babies born in the U.S. would automaticallyhave citizenship only if at least one of their parents is a U.S.citizen or national, a legal permanent resident of the U.S., oractively serving in the U.S. military.
Azadeh Shahshahani, director of the Immigrants Rights Project of theAmerican Civil Liberties Union of Georgia, said the proposed law “isnot cognizant with the American spirit.”
“We would stand in strong opposition to this bill as it’s infundamental contradiction to our nation’s long history of welcomingimmigrants and bestowing inalienable rights” on all people born here,regardless of the circumstances of their birth, she said.