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02-08-2011, 02:08 AM #1
Ariz. lawmakers don't vote on citizenship bill
Ariz. lawmakers don't vote on citizenship bill
Goal is to force a court to rule that a child born in the U.S. is a citizen only if either parent is a U.S. citizen or a legal immigrant
By JACQUES BILLEAUD
The Associated Press
updated 2/7/2011 8:52:44 PM ET 2011-02-08T01:52:44
PHOENIX — The Arizona lawmaker who proposed a challenge to automatic U.S. citizenship for children of illegal immigrants called off a scheduled vote on his measure Monday because he didn't have enough votes to get it out of committee.
But Republican Sen. Ron Gould of Lake Havasu City said he doesn't believe his bill is dead. Calling off a vote in committee doesn't prevent lawmakers from bringing up their proposals for a vote again.
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Gould hopes the measure would prompt a court interpretation on an element of the 14th Amendment, which guarantees citizenship to people born in the U.S. who are "subject to the jurisdiction" of this country.
Supporters of the bill the amendment doesn't apply to the children of illegal immigrants because such families don't owe sole allegiance to the U.S.
The bill's sponsors say the goal is to force a court to rule that a child born in the U.S. is a citizen only if either parent is a U.S. citizen or a legal immigrant. Similar proposals have been introduced by lawmakers in Indiana, Mississippi, Texas, Oklahoma and South Dakota. The South Dakota measure was rejected by a committee Monday.
An accompanying proposal is an interstate compact that defines who is a U.S. citizen and asks states to issue separate birth certificates for those who are U.S. citizens and those who are not. Such a compact would have to be approved by Congress, but they do not require the president's signature.
Opponents of the bill — and constitutional scholars — predict such state efforts will be declared unconstitutional. Opponents say the proposal is mean-spirited toward immigrants and won't make a dent in the state's immigration woes.
The Arizona Senate judiciary committee heard three hours of testimony from legal scholars, immigrant rights activists and business lobbyists on Monday.
Even though this law may not affect me, it will affect the people around me," said Heidi Portugal, a 12-year-old who said she is a U.S. citizen but that her parents aren't.
Two Democratic lawmakers and one Republican legislator raised skeptical questions about the bill.
"I want to know what allegiance means," said Republican Rep. Adam Driggs of Phoenix, an attorney who has expertise in immigration law. Driggs, who described himself as a conservative Republican, expressed skepticism about how the proposal would be carried out by state government.
John Eastman, professor at Chapman University's law school in Orange, Calif., said automatic citizenship remains an open question for the U.S. Supreme Court. He believes this proposal would provide a chance for court to say that merely being born in the United States doesn't entitle a person citizenship. "The Supreme Court has never decided this issue," Eastman said.
Immigrant rights advocate Sal Reza, an opponent of the bill, said many children would be left in limbo if the measure were enacted and enforced. "Do the right thing: Become human beings," Reza told lawmakers.
Last year, lawmakers passed a bill to draw local police deeper into the fight against illegal immigration. The most controversial parts of that law were put on hold by a federal judge.
In previous years, the state has passed laws denying government benefits to illegal immigrants, denying bail to immigrants arrested for serious crimes, and creating the state crime of immigration smuggling.
Arizona lawmakers give their first hearing Monday to a bill that challenges automatic U.S. citizenship for children of illegal immigrants, the state's latest foray into the national debate over illegal immigration.
The bill to be heard Monday by the Senate judiciary committee seeks a court interpretation on an element of the 14th Amendment, which guarantees citizenship to people born in the U.S. who are "subject to the jurisdiction" of this country.
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Supporters of the bill the amendment doesn't apply to the children of illegal immigrants because such families don't owe sole allegiance to the U.S.
The bill's sponsors say the goal is to force a court to rule that a child born in the U.S. is a citizen only if either parent is a U.S. citizen or a legal immigrant. Similar proposals have been introduced by lawmakers in Indiana , Mississippi, Texas, Oklahoma and South Dakota.
Opponents of the bill — and constitutional scholars — predict such state efforts will be declared unconstitutional. Opponents say the proposal is mean-spirited toward immigrants and won't make a dent in the state's immigration woes.
An accompanying proposal is an interstate compact that defines who is a U.S. citizen and asks states to issue separate birth certificates for those who are U.S. citizens and those who are not. Such a compact would have to be approved by Congress, but would not require the president's signature.
The proposal comes after Arizona last year enacted one of the nation's toughest local laws targeting illegal immigration. A federal judge put the most controversial parts of that law on hold.
In previous years, the state has passed laws denying government benefits to illegal immigrants, denying bail to immigrants arrested for serious crimes, and creating the state crime of immigration smuggling.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41462336/ns/us_news-life/NO AMNESTY
Don't reward the criminal actions of millions of illegal aliens by giving them citizenship.
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02-08-2011, 02:18 AM #2
Birthright bills run into trouble
By Luige del Puerto
Published: February 7, 2011 at 9:30 pm
Backers of proposals that aim to ultimately deny U.S. citizenship to children born to illegal immigrants suffered a setback on Monday when the chairman of the Arizona Senate committee that tackled the bills concluded he did not have the votes to approve them.
Sen. Ron Gould, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, held the two measures after three hours of testimony by proponents and critics surrounding the legal complexities of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the intricacies of today’s immigration system.
When asked why he held the two-bill legislation, Gould admitted that the measures do “not (have) enough votes yet.â€Support our FIGHT AGAINST illegal immigration & Amnesty by joining our E-mail Alerts at https://eepurl.com/cktGTn
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02-08-2011, 02:50 AM #3
[quote]The way the legislation is drafted, that denial would apply to Arizona residents and U.S. citizens who hold a dual citizenship; children born to U.S. soldiers in bases overseas also wouldn’t be considered American citizens, she said.
“Indeed, if this legislation had been retroactively dated, it would have denied our very own United States Sen. John McCain the benefits and recognition of Arizona citizenship under this law,â€A Nation Without Borders Is Not A Nation - Ronald Reagan
Save America, Deport Congress! - Judy
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