Pundits who have been demanding that Donald Trump add some specific policies to his comments about immigration just got their wish. And I’ll bet a lot of them wish they hadn’t pushed him to do so.
The reason for their dismay is that this past Sunday, during an appearance on Meet the Press, Trump did add some specifics. And in doing so, he exposed one of the biggest scandals in U.S. immigration policy. I’m referring to the so-called “birthright citizenship” that says any child born in this country, even if the mother is an illegal immigrant who snuck in here just before the baby’s birth, is immediately and automatically granted U.S. citizenship.
Such infants are sometimes referred to as “anchor babies,” because their U.S. citizenship becomes the “anchor” on which a host of other claims can be made. As a U.S. citizen, the newly franchised infant is entitled to all the benefits that accompany citizenship, such as medical care, food stamps and other welfare, schooling, and a bunch of other public assistance.
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But that’s not all. That new citizen is now entitled to invite other family members — mother and father, brothers and sisters, aunt and uncles, and cousins and grandparents — to come visit him in his newly adopted country … and even apply for citizenship here.
I’m sure you’ll agree that all of this sounds patently absurd. How on Earth can a newborn baby be entitled to citizenship when his parents are not? How did such an insane policy become the law of the land?
The first thing you need to know is that Congress has never passed such a law. No, we’re told that this ridiculous policy is required by the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. Here’s the relevant section:
All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.
At the time of its passage, lawmakers certainly did not mean to enfranchise the children of aliens, even if their parents were in this country legally. They assumed that because the parents were “subject to the jurisdiction” of the country where they were citizens, their children would be, too. That just makes sense, doesn’t it? But that’s not how it has been interpreted.
It’s time for Congress to put an end to this foolishness. In fact, it’s long past time. But that won’t happen until enough voters are aware of this absurd policy and demand that it be changed.
That’s why I’m delighted that Trump is putting the spotlight of publicity on “birthright citizenship.” Thanks to him, this issue will be impossible to ignore. Because of Trump, millions of voters will learn about this terrible interpretation of the 14th Amendment. Other candidates running for president will be forced to discuss it. Hopefully, it will also become an issue in many of the races for seats in the House and Senate.
So thank you, Donald. You’ve made it very hard — in fact, I’d say impossible — to sweep this one under the rug. Now, let’s see what happens when the politicians are forced to face it.
Until next time, keep some powder dry.
Chip Wood was the first news editor of The Review of the News and also wrote for American Opinion, our two predecessor publications. He is now the geopolitical editor of Personal Liberty Digest. This article first appeared on PersonalLiberty.com and has been reprinted with permission.
