Thread: Rethinking Birthright Citizenship

By Ron Paul
10-3-6


A recent article in the Houston Chronicle discusses the problem of so-called anchor babies, children born in U.S. hospitals to illegal immigrant parents. These children automatically become citizens, and thus serve as an anchor for their parents to remain in the country. Our immigration authorities understandably are reluctant to break up families by deporting parents of young babies. But birthright citizenship, originating in the 14th amendment, has become a serious cultural and economic dilemma for our nation.

In some Houston hospitals, administrators estimate that 70 or 80% of the babies born have parents who are in the country illegally. As an obstetrician in south Texas for several decades, I can attest to the severity of the problem. It's the same story in California, Arizona, and New Mexico. And the truth is most illegal immigrants who have babies in U.S. hospitals do not have health insurance and do not pay their hospital bills.

This obviously cannot be sustained, either by the hospitals involved or the taxpayers who end up paying the bills.

No other wealthy, western nations grant automatic citizenship to those who simply happen to be born within their borders to non-citizens. These nations recognize that citizenship involves more than the physical location of one's birth; it also involves some measure of cultural connection and allegiance. In most cases this means the parents must be citizens of a nation in order for their newborn children to receive automatic citizenship.

Make no mistake, Americans are happy to welcome immigrants who follow our immigration laws and seek a better life here. America is far more welcoming and tolerant of newcomers than virtually any nation on earth. But our modern welfare state creates perverse incentives for immigrants, incentives that cloud the issue of why people choose to come here. The real problem is not immigration, but rather the welfare state magnet.

Hospitals bear the costs when illegal immigrants enter the country for the express purpose of giving birth. But illegal immigrants also use emergency rooms, public roads, and public schools. In many cases they are able to obtain Medicaid, food stamps, public housing, and even unemployment benefits. Some have fraudulently collected Social Security benefits.

Of course many American citizens also use or abuse the welfare system. But we cannot afford to open our pocketbooks to the rest of the world. We must end the perverse incentives that encourage immigrants to come here illegally, including the anchor baby incentive.

I've introduced legislation that would amend the Constitution and end automatic birthright citizenship. The 14th amendment was ratified in 1868, on the heels of the Civil War. The country, especially the western territories, was wide open and ripe for homesteading. There was no welfare state to exploit, and the modern problems associated with immigration could not have been imagined.

Our founders knew that unforeseen problems with our system of government would arise, and that's precisely why they gave us a method for amending the Constitution. It's time to rethink birthright citizenship by amending the 14th amendment.

http://www.freemarketnews.com/Analysis/ ... d=110&pv=1

A Constitutional amendment is not needed, only an act of Congress is needed. This is because the framers of the 14th amendment never intended to give the children of foreigners birthright citizenship. This practice was started by an executive (Presidential) decision, not the 14th Amendment or Congress or Supreme Court. An amendment is hard to do, and it will delay the correction of this problem.

Well good for Ron Paul. I don't know what process this needs to go through but it should have been addressed decades ago.

Excellet article Ron Paul!!

Congress needs to pass the Anchor Babies Bill immediately.

Oooh but wait...they're on vacation again.

Oooh well...maybe next year.

I wonder if 50 states passed laws making it illegal to issue a Birth Certificate to an illegal alien if THAT would stop the problem...at the hospital with the doctors with the states.

The question is, what can we do,to help get this changed whether its an amendment or an act of congress, what can we of Alipac do to get this pushed to the top of the agenda, what will it take to get this done? I have said all along, this is the main priority other then border security first and foremost, to me anyway, getting this law changed will take away a lot of the incentive. esp. for the illegals to come here to have their babies. No longer will they have the excuse not to be deported because they will have to leave their kids here, how silly that is anyway, who in the world could think of leaving their children behind? I think it is time the American tax payer stands up and say's NO MORE, we are no longer going to shoulder the burden of paying for children of illegals! No more hospitals are we going to see close their doors because they are simply overwhelmed and bankrupt trying to take care of the pregnant mama's and babies of illegals. It is not just the citizens of Mexico runnng here inside our border to drop their children in order for them to have a foothold on our country through their children. It has to stop, it is insane,and as long as we put up with it, our government will let it happen!I think it is time we bombard each of our own state Senators and Congressmen and women, tell them we want this insanity stoped and we want it stopped right now!

Originally Posted by nittygritty

The question is, what can we do,to help get this changed whether its an amendment or an act of congress, what can we of Alipac do to get this pushed to the top of the agenda, what will it take to get this done? I have said all along, this is the main priority other then border security first and foremost, to me anyway, getting this law changed will take away a lot of the incentive. esp. for the illegals to come here to have their babies. No longer will they have the excuse not to be deported because they will have to leave their kids here, how silly that is anyway, who in the world could think of leaving their children behind? I think it is time the American tax payer stands up and say's NO MORE, we are no longer going to shoulder the burden of paying for children of illegals! No more hospitals are we going to see close their doors because they are simply overwhelmed and bankrupt trying to take care of the pregnant mama's and babies of illegals. It is not just the citizens of Mexico runnng here inside our border to drop their children in order for them to have a foothold on our country through their children. It has to stop, it is insane,and as long as we put up with it, our government will let it happen!I think it is time we bombard each of our own state Senators and Congressmen and women, tell them we want this insanity stoped and we want it stopped right now!

Right On, nitty...I agree 100% we do need to make the Anchor Babies Legislation PRIORITY NUMBER ONE.

Congress reconvenes in Nov, after the elections, not next yr. Let's hope this gets somewhere, long overdue.

Yes...lets hope they get that bill passed this year when they come back from break.

The problem is in interpreting the Constitution. Our idiot liberal judges say that the phrase "We the people of the United States of America" means anyone living in the United States is covered. The reality is far from it. when it was written in 1787, there were 4 groups in the thirteen states. They were Anglo males, Anglo females, African slaves and native American indians. Even though Anglo women were citizens, only Anglo males were actually given rights. You might remember that when women were married, the groom had to pay a dowery to his wife's parents. This was in effect a form of endentured servitude. African slaves were deliberately left out because half of the signers owned slaves. As for indians, they were considered savages (sub humans). Our forefathers were, to be honest, racist and male chauvenist. The next group to become citizens were the indians in the 1920's, though, they didn't actually be treated properly until the 1970's. The final group was African Americans in the 1960's. From 1787 to the 1920's, the "white man" killed nearly 3/4 of the entire indian population. Also, from 1787 to the 1960's, more tha 100,000 slaves and their progeny, African Americans, were murdered with impunity. Both groups were deserving of constitutional rights. During all these additions, one thing was common. All were residing in the United States legally. Illegal immigrants violated our country's borders by illegally entering and residing here. By residing here illegally, they do not qualify for coverage under the Constitution. They have civil rights, not constitutional rights.

Qflash. Brilliant post! Thank you.
Liberal judges are running the show, I agree. And they may be sending us down a path of no return.