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This is why I have used the term “anchor baby” to describe them. The critics of this term are the same people who are trying to make the anchor drop even deeper. During his speech last week, President Obama stated we cannot deport illegal aliens because “it would tear at the very fabric of this nation—because immigrants who are here illegally are now intricately woven into that fabric. Many have children who are American citizens.”
The costly policy of granting birthright citizenship is based upon a misinterpretation of the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment. It 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.”
This was clearly designed to guarantee for the purpose of ensuring that the children of freed slaves could not be denied citizenship. Granting citizenship to the children of illegal aliens is a completely arbitrary interpretation that has never been ruled on by the Courts or passed by statute.
When I served in Congress, I co-sponsored 10 bills to end birthright citizenship either by statute or Constitutional Amendment. Rep. Nathan Deal’s Birthright Citizenship Act of 2009 (H.R.1868) currently has 92 co-sponsors. This is a start, but unless the debate changes, it is unlikely that the Republican leadership, much less the Democratic majority in Congress, will address the issue.
With the federal government far behind on upholding its constitutional duties on immigration, the States are once again stepping in.
State Rep. Leo Berman of Texas introduced a bill to deny benefits to children of illegal aliens, and State Rep Randy Terrill of Oklahoma and State Sen. Russell Pearce of Arizona–who wrote SB 1070–are planning on introducing similar legislation.
Mark Twain wrote, “Citizenship is what makes a republic.” Our policy of giving the children of illegal aliens citizenship cheapens one of the most basic building blocks of our Republic.
Virgil Goode Represented Virginia’s 5th Congressional District from 1997 until 2009.
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