If we don't want the illegals here, then why do we make their children, born here while they are here illegally, United States citizens? Isn't that giving them a mixed message? I'm not taking sides, just trying to get an answer to something that doesn't seem logical.
2007-08-26 07:53:11 · 14 answers · asked by Sarah 3 in Politics & Government ➔ Immigration
Under current United States federal law and most interpretations of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which was ratified in 1868 to assure citizenship to freed slaves and their descendants, anyone born in the United States is a citizen.
It is called birthright citizenship.
2007-08-26 07:57:00 · answer #1 · answered by Dirty Martini 6 · 4⤊ 2⤋
The 14th Amendment's intent was to insure citizenship of the descendants of freed slaves. It specifically excluded the Native Americans, which gained citizenship decades later through a Congressional Act. The first case before the Supreme Court dealt with the child of parents legally here.
The children of illegal aliens has never been specifically ruled on by the Supreme Court.
Currently, the House is working on a bill to revoke birthright citizenship and require parents to be here legally and end the inducement to come here illegally to have a child and hope to avoid deportation. I support those efforts fully.
Most of Europe and Asia already have similar laws in place requiring parent citizenship or legal status.
2007-08-26 08:01:34 · answer #2 · answered by NoAmnesty4U 3 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Because that law was designed on the assumption that the people it was for were here legally. The law was created to give legal status to children of immigrants who are here legally because it is convenient. The immigrant parents would not have to return to their country and make the baby go through all the immigration stuff. The law has a loophole because illegals use this to come here and have their babies. They think it will speed up the process of them being legal and it just makes it worse for the child. If the parents are illegal and deported, the government will not send the child with them. They have to give their child up or go through hell to get them back. They should think about this before trying to mess with the US government.
2007-08-26 10:29:00 · answer #3 · answered by AveGirl 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
The child did not decide to be born here, and should not be held accountable for the parents actions.
By refusing the child US citizenship you are refusing their rights. But, a strong NO 'loophole' law needs to be put in place that the child is a US citizen and the parents will not get the right to work or live in the US EVER. This may put people off doing this, as they know there will be no chance of becoming a US citizen
2007-08-26 07:59:20 · answer #4 · answered by Mama~peapod 6 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Because America has depended for generations on the energy and hard work of immigrants for the betterment of our economy. As America gets richer and materially better off, fewer and fewer Americans are willing to do the hard work for lower wages which keeps our economy running smoothly. Without the upperward economic money flow from the poorest to the poor to the lower middle class and so on, how do you get the grunt work done for society to run, how do you inject money into the bottom of the economy which begins the trip through economic system which breaths the life blood to the economy.
How do you get bottom up pressure for better jobs and better ways to do jobs if their is no pool of immigrates willing to work at the bottom of the economic system?
We need the immigrates to fuel our economy. Without immigrates then we need to raise the cost of produce, meat, milk products, fish, chickens and so on that come from the hard work of people on the ground level of our economy.
America is at a crossroads, and the easy way out is no longer a viable option.
2007-08-26 08:10:30 · answer #5 · answered by zclifton2 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If a child is born in the US, he or she is automatically an American citizen. We aren't sending a mixed message, illegals know exactly what they are doing. They hope to gain sympathy by using their American born children to stay here. If they are caught, they have the option to take the child with them or put the child into foster care, but they must leave. The child is considered American if born here.
2007-08-26 08:02:26 · answer #6 · answered by Twain Harte Gal 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋
It has to do with a horrible interpretation of the 14th amendment. The supreme court needs to overturn this just on this merit alone. When a foreign ambassador has a child in this country the child is NOT a US citizen.
2007-08-26 07:57:29 · answer #7 · answered by dave 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
That's not the way the laws was intended to be use as . But sleazy lawyer An politicians have made a mockery of it>>
2007-08-26 07:58:29 · answer #8 · answered by 45 auto 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
so if you ever committed a crime in your life and are now labeled an illegal citizen a criminal. and a criminal is a criminal like they been saying even if its non-violent or violent. and you have a baby then your baby is born he or she is a criminal too an illegal citizen. and should be treated like a criminal. have you ever committed any crime whether you got caught or not? if yes you are illegal and should leave this country and any babies you had here their criminal too and must leave too.
now i was exaggerating what i just said don't make any sense.
2007-08-26 09:00:09 · answer #9 · answered by bayarealatino925 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
those children don't "come here," they are born here, and being born here makes them US Citizens just like you or me.
2007-08-26 09:14:39 · answer #10 · answered by rmon 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋