Warren County

Stop giving birth certificates to children of illegal immigrants, county commissioner says
By Tiffany Y. Latta

Staff Writer

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

LEBANON — A citizens group that wants to toughen immigration laws has the support of Warren County commissioners, including one who wants the health department to stop issuing birth certificates to the illegal immigrants whose children are born here.

Commissioners Michael Kilburn, Pat South and Dave Young will say publicly today that they're behind Citizens for Legal Communities, a group that wants cities and townships to adopt ordinances making it illegal for anyone to rent or hire undocumented workers in Warren County.

Members of CLC, created last summer after Kevin Barnhill, 27, of Mason was allegedly stabbed to death by illegal immigrants, will ask commissioners to support their efforts at a meeting at 5:30 p.m. at the county government center in Lebanon.

Kilburn and South said their hearts go out to the friends and family of Barnhill, a graduate of Little Miami High School. They added that they applaud the residents' efforts to tackle immigration laws locally, but said to be effective enforcement must begin at the federal level.

But Young went a step further. He said he wants to challenge birthright citizenship, the long-standing federal policy that automatically grants citizenship to babies born in the United States.

Young said the policy is based on a flawed interpretation of the U.S. Constitution's 14th amendment and encourages illegal immigration.

The amendment enacted in 1868 states: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.''

Young said the amendment was meant to ensure civil rights to freed slaves, not to reward illegal immigrants and their children.

"There's no where else in the law that allows a criminal act to result in someone else reaping a reward, but that's exactly what we're doing with birthright citizenship. We allow them to break the law, sneak into the county and have their children reap the benefits,'' Young said. "That's not right and I plan on doing something about it.''

In 2005, U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal, a Georgia Republican, sponsored a bill that would revoke birthright citizenship, but U.S. House leaders never let the issue reach a vote.

Young said he may ask county health department officials to stop issuing birth certificates to babies born to illegal immigrants in protest.

Judi Lehman of CLC said the support of commissioners is key in getting cities and township government leaders to act.

Lehman said CLC has met with Mason and Springboro officials and will soon meet with Lebanon, Franklin, Carlisle, and other city and township officials.

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