Hima Patel
Franklin High School
Tennessee – Democrat
House Committee on Foreign Affairs
Birthright Citizenship for Children of Aliens
Immigration plays a big role in today’s society. Immigrants are crossing borders
and entering into the U.S every day, and as the do, it mist likely that it’s during
childbirth, which automatically grants that child U.S citizenship, which the leads to legal
permission and protection to stay in the U.S by Section 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment
of the United Stated Constitution. This can lead to difficulties since the child is allowed
to stay here but the parents are not. Though children born in the United States are
protected by the Fourteenth Amendment, illegal immigration becomes a direct problem.
Illegal immigrants come here knowing that their children will become citizens once born,
and once this child is 21, they can sponsor immediate family and other relatives for
citizenship. Even though there may be nothing wrong with this and may provide the
immigrants and their children with better opportunities, it puts the “normal” citizens, and
Congress in a unique situation. The immigrants coming here have to start working, and
the income they receive may be low. Because of this the government has to pay for their
welfare/healthcare, education and other benefits, and this money comes out from all our
taxes, that many of us work very hard for. We also have to send IRS out to catch all of
these immigrants, which cost a lot of money. And as this is going on, the immigrants who
are filing to come here legally have to wait longer because the illegal immigrants who
have come here. So the process becomes slower.
In the past, Congress has debated the issue of illegal aliens and the rights of all of
their U.S born children. Section 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S Constitution
states that all person born in the U.S are granted privileges or immunities afforded to
every other citizen. The Fourteenth Amendment was passed on July 9, 1868 as a means
of reversing the Dred Scott v. Sanford decision, which did not allow citizenship to
African Americans in the Untied States. After the Civil War, Congress framed the
Fourteenth Amendment as manner of granting citizenship to African Americans to
address the injustice of slavery. The Democrat National Committee has consistently
criticized the Republican Party and White House policy on immigration. Howard Dean,
chairman of the Democratic National Committee, commented on President Bush’s failure
to “stand p to anti-immigration erroneous policies from the Republican Party. Dean later
stated that Democrats support the fight for immigration modification through the
strengthening of American borders, but also support the continued presence of
immigrants who pay taxes. Many Democrats continue to support pro-immigration and
Open Border groups that emphasize birthright citizenship as key component of
immigration. Republicans on the other hand, for most part, has been a central supporter
of immigration reform, including the rights of children of illegal aliens. Of the
cosponsors for the Citizenship Reform Act of 2005, eighty of them were Republican
Party members. The conservative Republican confederacy has called for changes through
the country that would affect the presence of illegal workers and their children. A call for
immigration reform has also been established by the white house, arguing for more
enforcement of immigration laws in the United States. In an usual move, President Bush
has asked for the establishment of a temporary work program.
Several states such as California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, those that
form the largely unguarded border with Mexico, have been on the forefront of
immigration debate. Most representative voted based on their part’s policy. The new
issues that have emerged in regard to birthright citizenship have been through the
constructs of a debate that has waged for over one hundred years. The American
Community has also split on the means and reasons behind the changes. Some have
called for tighter immigration reform, laws that would change the status of children born
to illegal immigrants. Others have supported the need for open borders and greater rights
for illegal aliens and their children.