NPR- All Things Considered
August 5, 2010
4 min 26 sec
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said he thinks giving automatic citizenship to children of non-residents is a mistake.
"Critics say it's an irresistible lure to illegal immigrants — and needs to be revised. Recently, it's been getting a lot of play on the cable news shows."
America was built on the idea that people could come from all nations to find a better life and more opportunity in this country. These illegal immigrants are having babies in America to give their children more opportunity than in their home country. Who knows, these children could be our next president. I do not think that the constitution should be changed because it is ultimately helping people out that would otherwise live in poverty their whole life. At least the fourteenth amendment is helping some children escape from an economically harsh life. Although the 14th amendment may have its flaws it is beneficial for America and others and should not be changed.
ReplyDeleteAlthough some illegal immigrants may come to the U.S. specifically to have a baby in order to use that as an excuse to stay in the country, I think that most immigrants come here because of what the U.S. has always stood for -- freedom and opportunity, for themselves, or for the family they hope to have. But in the case of this controversy, it seems freedom and opportunity are out of the question for those who wish to seek it. I understand why Rep. Brian Bilbray said it is the current state of the economy that is the main concern, but there are certain consequences that may result in the revision of the 14th amendment. I'm skeptical about if the revision will even be close to happening, but it will possibly cause mixed feelings among the public. If this amendment can be changed, does that mean the other amendments and our rights could easily be changed as well?
ReplyDeletePeople from other countries can even find an American citizen to marry in order to come to the U.S. Then, according to http://www.expertlaw.com/library/immigration/naturalization.html , the spouse is eligible for citizenship after three years of marriage. How is that any different than coming here to have a baby? The process of marrying someone from another country does take an extended amount of time and a lot of paperwork -- and for some, a lot of faking any existence of love in the marriage in order to lie their way through the entire procedure, which I'm sure many couples achieve. If people are marrying to become citizens instead of coming here to "drop a child" in order to stay in America, does that mean the government will try and pass an amendment prohibiting American citizens from marrying foreigners? That sounds a bit outrageous to me.
The constitution isn't some sort of rough draft that you can proofread and rewrite whenever you're unhappy with it. This is the published book. You can't just grab it from the library, rip some pages out, and put it back on the shelf. Do that, and the next reader will be extremely unhappy. I agree with Elizabeth Wydra of the Constitutional Accountability Center. "Let's try to fix this through legislation and not tinker with the genius of our constitutional design."
I actually disagree Senator Lindsey Graham. From personal experience, I truly believe that those that were born here with non-citizen parents should not be withheld of their citizenship. I, like those children, have grown up my whole life here. This country is our home and everything that we have been accustom to. We live by the same culture and same lifestyle, so why should be withheld of citizenship? For the parents however, they would have to continue to take a test for citizenship. For those that are illegal, I agree in deportation and that they should try to enter the US legally. In that particular case, their children born in US should still be considered citizens because once again, the life in the US is their only life up to that point.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the 14th amendment should be changed or revised. The issue with illegal immigrants will likely not be solved by removing civil liberties. The government needs to establish a smarter plan to answer the immigration issue; this seems like a quick fix for a much greater problem.
ReplyDeleteI also don't believe the 14th amendment is a "lure" to illegal immigrants. Immigrants do not need a lure, they can see the problems within their own infrastructure and see the opportunity for their children's success in the US. However, that doesn't make it right, or fair; I see that. I just feel that there's much more that we need to focus on than the 14th amendment.
I agree with Madelyn, the 14th ammendment isnt't a "lure" but it is also kind of a shortcut for illegal immigrants to become citizens. Is it really fair that someone who comes from another country wisihing to become a citizen has to wait several months and even sometimes years to get that citizenship. While if some other woman came in illegally and got knocked up gets automatic citizenship? That doesn't really seem right.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that the government should try to change an entire ammendment in the Constitution because our nation was founded upon those ammendments and has done extremely well. However I can understand why some people have an issue with illegal immigrants' children gaining automatic citizen ship. I think that if people want to become citizens of this country, they shouldn't be allowed to cheat the system by having kids here or marrying an American. If you want to be a U.S. citizen, you should have to do it the legal way. I mean, if you are already here I don't think they should strip away that child's rights, but parent's shouldn't be allowed to use their children as a passage into the U.S. Simply because the more illegal immigrants that are here, the less jobs for American citizens, which means an even poorer economy. I do understand that most immigrants come over here for better opportunities and a better life, but they should do it legally, not through their children.
ReplyDeleteIn accordance to what Sen. Lindsey Graham stated, I believe that changing the 14th Amendment would be unnecessary and a violation of the rights given to the people in the Constitution. America is a symbol of freedom and hope for many people who live in other countries and suffer from persecution and hardships that we do not have to suffer from. Most illegal immigrants do not come here to just have a baby in order to gain citizenship. They come to America in order to enable their child a better life than what they experienced. No parent wants their child to have to experience hardship, so if they have to cross the border illegally in order to grasp that hope for their family, they'd do it without a doubt. I'm not saying that I support these people crossing illegally, it would be much better if they did come into the U.S. legally, but in reality it is a long and very grueling process. Many adults that I know who have attempted to come into the U.S. legally will tell you that we, the United States, make the process almost impossible. Therefore, the 14th Amendment is not a draw just to gain citizenship more easily, but yet a symbol of hope for people who are not as priviledged as we are. All these immigrants want is a chance at a happy and equal shot at life for the children and family that they love. By taking away these children's rights, what does that say about America really? That we get to pick and choose the future of these children? If they can only make our country better, who is to say we are more deserving of a priviledged life than they?
ReplyDeleteI do believe that the amendment may have the occasional flaw, nothing is ever perfect, however; we do not have to change the whole thing in order to fix the faults of the amendment.
About the economic situation, I think we need to focus on fixing the mess ups of the corporations who started the whole thing rather than changing an amendment about children's citizenship. Yes, it may not be helping the situation, but there are other bigger problems that are harming our economy other than illegal immigrants.
To revise the 14th amendment in the hopes of discouraging illegal immigrants to come to America is not a plausible solution. Although, the problem of illegal immigration is a large issue, it shouldn't be dealt with by amending a right of the people. The children of these illegal parents carry the hope of a better life- one that their parents did not or could not have. Thus, although the immigrants are committing a crime, their children should not have to suffer.
ReplyDeleteIllegal immigration is wrong, there is no doubt about that. But how can Americans be so contradictory when they say immigrants cannot become residents, when they themselves invaded this land which was not theirs to begin with. This situation reminds me of the phrase, history repeating itself, once again people are trying to come to a new land where they see hope for opportunity and freedom. As far as the "drop and leave", its just the immigrants way of going around the law to ensure a steady future for their children. However I do not believe that those children should be granted full citizenship, but they and their parents should be allowed to get in the process of a citizenship. Illegal immigration will happen weather we change the law or not, people always find a way around, which is why I agree with Madelyn, this should not be our governments number one concern.
ReplyDeleteThe 14th Amendment is part of what america stands for "the land of oppurtunity and freedom" so everyone should have a chance to fell and expereience just that .revising it or changing it would make people stop beliving in our country, and modifying the Constitution would not reverse illegal immigration.We cant help where were born so thats not fair to the children of the immigrants. America is contradicting themselves by even bringing this issue up we as americans have values we stand for and follow such as the actions of parents shouldnt be brought against their offspring.
ReplyDeleteIf you think about americans have brought over some of these immigrants to work in their illegal operations such as sweat shops and factories ect. so, therefore if their good enough to bring over here as servants and other unskilled laborers then they should be good enough to be granted citizenship. I feel if america is truly about american values and what they say then this controversy wont get changed at all.
Even though the 14th amendment does provide a more simple way for illegal immigrants to become citizens, I don't believe it should be altered or revised. The fact of the matter is, whether we revise the amendment or not, people from foreign countries will still manage to live here illegally. Like madelyn said, people come to America for a better opportunity and standard of living, not to find ways around our legislation. There are many people who do not have the means to become citizens, but to them the risk of living here illegally is worth the opportunity of their children being raised and educated in the U.S.
ReplyDeleteIn Washington, there is discontent with the number of illegal immigrants living in the U.S., yet they push to make aquiring citizenship even more difficult. If they truly wanted less illegal immigrants living here, they would ease the requirements of becoming a citizen to encourage foreign immigrants to apply for citizenship. However, because government officals fail to do this, it leads me to believe that they are wanting less immigration, legal or not. In my opinion, it is selfish to say if you weren't lucky enough to be born here (as long as the 14th amendment isn't ratified), then you will must go through a strenuous process that may or may not grant you citizenship.
We have the highest standard of living in the world and we are punishing people who are making an effort to improve theirs. I went to Romania this past summer and I talked with teenagers and adults who would literally give anything to live in the United States. As citizens we forget that our country would not function the way it does without these immigrants because these people moving from terrible conditions humbly accept low paying jobs that most Americans would have too much pride to take, no matter their need for money.
By ratifying the 14th amendment we would be punishing the children of these immigrants, when our discontent is the paucity tax money coming into the national government.
Sen. Lindsey Graham's assertion that illegal immigrants come to the U.S. to simply "drop babies" is inconsistent with a study by the Pew Hispanic Center which reveals that more than 80 percent of illegal immigrant mothers had been here for more than a year, and more than half had been in the country for five years or more.
ReplyDeleteThis article mentions the Pew Study: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/12/us/12babies.html?_r=1&scp=6&sq=illegal%20immigration&st=cse
This attempt to revise the 14th amendment is simply a ploy arouse anti-illegal immigration sentiment and galvanize republican voter interest in the upcoming congressional election. However, illegal immigration seems to pose problem for the health care system, but amending the 14th Amendment to solve it might be too radical.
Also, many Republicans are missing the big picture: that we should be relieved people want to illegally immigrate to our country. It means they are going to great lengths to enter a country that offers more than theirs does. They are searching for opportunity and freedom- things they don't have. The moment people no longer want to immigrate to America is the moment we should start worrying.
First of all, I think it's incredibly important to differentiate between "immigrant" and "illegal immigrant." Being an immigrant of complete "legal" status myself, I am unequivocally in agreement that the path to becoming a just resident in the United States should not include being on American soil when the water breaks. Personally, the process was incredibly cumbersome and (obviously) extensive, especially considering that it took six years to acquire a green card. In this way, it makes sense that those from countries of impoverished conditions make little to no attempt at getting here legally. However, it is not the responsibility, nor the concern, of the United States to allow those who are in unfortunate circumstances rightful place here. The concerns of this country should be centralized around getting the citizens and those of permanent residence the jobs in which they so badly need. In a time of 10% unemployment, "turning the other cheek" to unauthorized aliens is not the solution. Furthermore, the fourteenth amendment was instituted, as stated in the NPR clip, for the purpose of guaranteeing the children of slaves rightful and lawful status, not to allow for "anchor babies." The only change that should be made to the amendment, in my opinion, is to make it that any baby born to parents or guardians of legal residence of the United States should be granted citizenship.
ReplyDeleteEven though Republicans brought this up out of political ambitions, I think the 14th amendment should be revised so that illegal immigrants can't take advantage of us. I know many people come to this nation looking for a better future for them and their children but there is a right way to come into this country. My parents came here legally and eventually became citizens.Illegal immigrants who chose to have children here don't have health insurance and its up to taxpayers to pay for their welfare. Its unfair taxpayers and to immigrants who followed the rules and came here legally. The 14th amendment should grant citizenship to those who are here legally. The fight against illegal immigration will be long and hard but revising the 14th amendment is another step to control illegal immigration.
ReplyDeleteOk, so even if America is supposed to be this land of opportunity and openness, I still think the amendment should be changed. The parents should have to obtain citizenship first in order for their child to be classified as an American citizen. If the parents of said child have citizenship the child should be born with that citizenship. If the parents are coming over to give birth to their child as illegals, then they are doing it for the wrong reasons, using their child to gain access to America. They are using their children as so called "anchor babies." If this amendment change does not occur then any foreign family that comes to America, for vacation, work, or whatever other reason and gives birth, that child is now classified as an American citizen. I believe there is a need to change this amendment, and it needs to come soon.
ReplyDeleteI actually agree with Senator Lindsey Graham's comments on the issue. It is understandable that illegal immigrants come here in search for a more stable life and a better future for their children. The circumstances they face in their country and the freedoms offered in America are ultimately why they come here. But just because a baby is born on American soil should not make it an American citizen automatically. Lets say a woman has a baby inside her neighbor's house for whatever reason she did. That baby doesn't automatically have the last name of the neighbors, it retains the same last name as the family it came from. If a baby with parents from a different country is born inside a U.S hospital, it should not be given U.S citizenship. I believe the parents should have the option of acquiring U.S citizenship for the baby, but citizenship should not just be granted to the baby. But these views of course are if I had written the constitution. If the constitution was written today, of course things would be much different. Illegal immigration from across the border wasn't the issue at hand when the 14th amendment was set in stone. It was a tool for the children of freed African-American slaves to automatically become U.S citizens. But times have changed, and I believe that the Constitution must change to a certain extent as well. Wydra's comments, "Let's try to fix this through legislation and not tinker with the genius of our constitutional design,", are not entirely true. I'm not saying burn the constitution, but some change is inevitable.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the illegal immigrants using this amendment as a way of anchoring themselves in America is something that needs to be fixed, I don't agree that changing the 14th amendment is the way to do it. America's virtues make are supposed to make it the land of opportunity so by destroying that amendment you change the purpose of America.By enforcing immigration laws the reason for changing the 14th amendment should be obsolete. Instead of going after a roundabout way of fixing the problem we should attempt to fix the problem directly.
ReplyDeleteI strongly support revising the 14th amendment. America shouldn't become a spawning pool for illegal immigrants. However, I applaude the enthusiasm since they risk their lives to come here. BUT they're overlooking the fact that there are ways to become citizens without breaking the law. Plus, this "better life" Renteria speaks of is, I believe, is an exaggeration. Look, so they came over to America to have a "better life" yet you see them working 10-12 hrs a day with a minimum wage and they are STILL struggling to put food on the table. They dream of a "better life" in America but in reality, it's painstakingly difficult for illegal immigrants to live a life of an average American citizen. They take jobs away from LEGAL Americans and immigrants. Just like parasites, they barge in and destroy the chances of LEGAL Americans and immigrants getting jobs reserved for American citizens with their "drop and leave" method. Therefore, I strongly support the revision of the 14th amendment.
ReplyDeletePersonally, a change to the 14th amendment does not seem like a bad idea at all. The concept that a child born here to illegal parents should be given automatic citizenship is quite a puzzling one. Why should someone who has no roots or even a guaranteed opportunity of contributing something positive to this country be put on equal status as the rest of us who were born here by legal parents? Just because a child is given citizenship does not mean that he/she will amount to anything more than a common thug. In all actuality, it is more likely that they will. Illegal parents will never be able to attain enough wealth to support the child with a good education through college without attaining legal status themselves. Therefore, giving the child citizenship is not only insulting to those against illegal immigration, but a meaningless effort to better the lives of those who could not achieve one on their own.
ReplyDeleteTo those that say that illegal immigrants are only trying to gain a better life, I would like to rebut that such a task can only accomplished by gaining legal status here. That way, a person can rise to great economic wealth without the threat of being deported and losing everything. Although our system to gain legal status in America is long and tedious, I would say that it would be well worth it in the end. It is not our government's responsibility to give insignificant and miniscule handouts to those who want something better than what they have in their own country. Our government's top priority should be to better the lives of those who are legal citizens. Therefore, any notion against illegal immigration, including this change to the 14th amendment, should be passed as long as it is reasonable.
I don't think the 14th amendment should be changed just because immigrants are having babies in America. The immigrants know that America is the land of opportunity and freedom and just want their children to have a better life and more opportunities to succeed than they did. Had they given birth to the baby in their home country, the baby would probably live in poverty when they grow up. Therefore, these parents are risking their lives to give their children whatever they can to live a happy life. If we revise the 14th amendment, we are increasing the numbers of people living in poverty as well as the number of people in America who are against the change. The government should think about what’s best for the future generation as well as the kids who are born here to have a chance in the land of opportunity.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with Senator Lindsey Graham to some degree. Some people do enter America illegally to have kids born in the U.S. so they could be automatic citizens. However, the "anchor babies" or their kids shouldn't be denied their U.S. citizenship. However, the parents who entered illegally should have some investigation done but to their kids they shouldn't be denied their citizenship because they didn't chose to be born in the U.S.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the 14th amendment was originally put in place to guarantee the children of ex-slaves citizenship almost 200 years ago, it should continue to be enforced today. America's Constitution has been upheld since the days of our founding fathers. Changing one amendment to attempt improving the current illegal immigration issue might make it justifiable to alter any of the other amendments. The rights we cherish such as our freedom of religion, speech, press; right to bear arms; right to a trial by jury... may be taken away under implications of another domestic crisis. Despite this possibility, the 14th amendment should remain untouched in regards to the children who are born and raised in the United States, but to illegal immigrants. The freedoms and liberties guaranteed to the inhabitants of this nation are much too alluring for the parents across the border who wish for their children to enjoy prosperous lives with the same conveniences that we have. Therefore I have to disagree with Sen. Lindsey Graham and his claim that expecting illegal immigrants cross the border to the United States to just "drop and leave" their babies. Another fact that cannot be ignored is that all of the proponents of the revisions proposed to the 14th amendment are descendants of immigrants themselves. The Irish, Polish, German, etc. luckily all came to this country at a time when immigration laws weren't established. It would be as outrageous to try taking their rights as American citizens away just as it would be for anyone else.
ReplyDeleteThe main problem I see here is that we are viewing illegal immigrants as a sort of "other," a group that we've characterized as having some sort of malicious or greedy intent to destroy our country by immigrating illegally and giving birth to children who "don't deserve" citizenship. But this isn't the case -- who are we to define the qualifications for deserving citizenship? I agree with Taylor, who said "we have the highest standard of living in the world and we are punishing people who are making an effort to improve theirs."
ReplyDeleteAmerica was built on a foundation of immigrants, many of whom would have been considered illegal if their had been any sort of legal process for immigration in the first place. The statue of liberty is inscribed with the words, "Give me your tired, your poor,
your huddled masses yearning to breathe free" -- that isn't a conditional statement. There are many flaws in the immigration process that can make it extremely difficult for some to become legal citizens of the United States, resulting in an influx of illegal immigrants who are hoping to improve the quality of life for themselves and their children. Illegal immigrants who give birth to children in the U.S. aren't conspiring to cause the downfall of America -- they're just trying to give their children an opportunity that will truly change their lives. An opportunity that, because of the issues inherent in the immigration system, they never had.
Any immigrant, whether illegal or legal, would choose to give his or her child the opportunity to become a citizen upon birth in an instant -- even if it doesn't seem exactly "fair" that the process of citizenship isn't that easy for everyone.
I agree that overpopulation will soon present a huge problem to the country, but I want to emphasize that curbing citizenship will not solve this problem. As with the principle of "controlling the faction" in the Federalist papers, there are two potential solutions here: try to delete the causes, or try to manage the effects. There is honestly nothing we can do to eliminate the causes of overpopulation and excess stress on infrastructure through immigration -- as long as America has a high standard of living, as long as people WANT to come here, illegal immigration will continue to be an issue. But we can work with the effects once they arrive. The only reason our country is still around is because of its tried-and-true ability to do so.
I feel that their does need to be a change involving illegal immigrants and the citizenship status of their children. I do not believe that just because you were born here you should be granted citizenship unless your parents are citizens. There is no reason to allow for people to take advantage of a system that is already struggling to help its own people. According to FAIR (The Federation for American Immigration Reform) Texas’s illegal immigrant population is costing the state’s taxpayers more than $4.7 billion per year for education, medical care and incarceration. The annual fiscal burden amounts to about $725 per Texas household headed by a native-born resident. I don't know about you but I do not believe that I should have to give fund for someone else child. I don't put the blame on the kids that are born here because they have no say, but the parents of said child needs to be held accountable for their actions. There should be laws set in place that require you to become a citizen if you intend on having a child in the U.S.
ReplyDeleteI believe tightening the grip of the 14th amendment would not be enough to stop the flow of illegal immigrants into America.Because like many have said there is a surplus amount of illegal immigrants that come not to have "anchor babies" but, to potentially better their lives.Also i believe altering the amendment would create a stigma towards children who's parents are not US citizens despite, the fact that their parents, are permanent and legal residents of this nation.
ReplyDeleteOne more comment: I'm vehemently against this idea that "gaining access to America" is something that we should be trying to prevent. America isn't some kind of exclusive Members-only club -- we should welcome with open arms anyone who wants to be a part of our society (unless they pose some kind of overt threat to it).
ReplyDeleteI actually disagree with Senator Lindsey Graham. For the children that are born in the U.S with illegal parents should not be taken away from there citizenship. Just because your parents are illegal to the U.S. How is it the child’s fault?
ReplyDeleteShouldn't the U.S be a "land of opportunities"? If parents are here illegally they should be allowed to stay for there child’s education and improve their lives as well. If they were deported back to there countries, it would be hard for them to improve their lives since some may live in the 3rd world countries.
While I do see how in some cases the fourteenth amendment might be taken advantage of here, I do not think it is such a problem that we would need to change the amendment. It’s not the Childs fault that the parent made that decision as they thought they were doing the best they could for the child and say opportunities here that no other place can offer. So if anything I would say punish the parent, but keep the Child’s citizenship because most likely they were raised here. People in many places in the world are just trying to get by and are unable to while Americans are blessed beyond our own knowledge and are unwilling to share.
ReplyDeleteYes, illegal immigration is a hot issue right now, but that does not mean that the 14th Amendment needs to be revised because of that. Illegal immigrants are not the only source who may cause overpopulation to the United States. There are people from all over the world who come to America to find a better life, like everyone said. Republicans have no right to say that those immigrants are hurting our economy; People are people and if they need to start a new life and help their kids, we should welcome them with open arms. I agree with Jacy when she said that immigrants may cause overpopulation, but they are what help make our country stronger politically and economically. Taylor made a good point about how these immigrants will take any job to save their families' lives, while we citizens are not even thankful to them for working hard for our families.
ReplyDeleteIf republicans "revise" the 14th amendment, how soon will they start "revising" other amendments as well?
I agree with Senator Graham to some degree. The point of the fourteenth amenendment was to protect the rights of African Americans during the time period following the Civil War in which the South was passing laws such as black codes and Jim Crow Laws to hurt the African Americans. THe fourteenth amendment now serves to protect all citizens from injustices like that. However I don't think it is right that illegal immigrants children that are born here should be allowed to have citizenship. Good parents will do anything for their child includding purposly bringing themselves to America so that their child can be a U.S. citizen and recieve those benefits. While the child should not be punished for the wrong doings of the parent, by giving illegal immigrants' children citizenship, to some degree encourages illegal immigration in the U.S.
ReplyDeleteI think the differentiation between illegal immigrant and immigrant should be an important deciding factor in the issue. I think that if the parents are legal immigrants to the United States, then their child born in the United States should be a citizen. America was founded on the foundation of being a place for all to come for better opportunities. Although this characteristic has faded in the recent past, I think it's important to keep America a country worth immigrating to. Understandably, we can't just open our borders to everyone wanting better opportunities but if immigrants are residing in the United States legally then their children who grow up living the American life should be granted citizenship.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading some of the comments posted after I posted my previous one, I feel the need to address a shared opinion amongst some of you. Many are claiming that we should accept the children of illegal immigrants and grant them citizenship because their parents are only trying to give them a better life. However, it is highly improbable that a child born to illegal parents will attain any such opportunity.
ReplyDeleteMy reasoning behind this is as follows: A child born to illegal immigrants would not be able to live in an economically wealthy area because the parents would have to keep a low profile so as not to be detected and deported for being here illegally. That being the case, it is more likely that the child will grow up in an impoverished area anyway and will therefore be subject to a lower quality of education throughout his/her public school years. Not to mention that illegal parents would not have the economic means of putting the child through a good college beyond high school. The end result being that the child would not have the opportunity to attain anything great himself/herself.
Also, I would like to point out that it is actually more beneficial to come here legally. Admittedly, the process is long and tedious as I stated in my previous comment; however, that does not mean impossible, nor does it mean that it doesn't have worthwhile benefits. An immigrant who applies for citizenship legally is allowed to stay here on a work visa while they attain their citizenship meaning they are given certain rights as temporary citizens. Not only that, but once legal status is attained, an immigrant can rise to substantial economic wealth without the constant worry and threat of being discovered, deported, and losing everything. In the end, they could also be able to provide the "better life" that they want for the children because they came into this country legally.
While illegal immigration will forever be a controversial and polemic issue, I disagree with senator Graham and his radical position of editing the 14th amendment. Not only is it radical, it's more that if he manages to secure a revision of a century old amendment, what's stopping them from editing the other amendments that protect all Americans from the government and other citizens?
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, the basis upon which he wished to revise the amendment contradicts the foundations of this nation. America has always been perceived as the land of opportunity,and the land of freedom and free will. On American soil is where dreams that may seem far-fetched or mind boggling in some countries, seem perfectly reasonable and equally possible. That is the basis upon which illegal immigrants travel to America and give birth to American citizens. They don't come here with the INTENT of harming this nation or overpowering the government, they simply wish to ensure a good life for their children-- a life they cannot ensure in mexico, or china or wherever they've immigrated from.
Denying the children their right to american citizenship is a blatant violation of the constitution and in doing so would deem America as the hypocritical villain, yet again.
How can a country that offers rights, freedoms, and liberties suddenly snatch it away and make it exclusive to certain citizens? Wouldn't that be in itself unconstitutional, therefore making the grounds on which senator graham is proposing this revision, unconstitutional?
Illegal immigration is a massive problem in the u.s. and will continue to exacerbate-- but the solution doesn't lie in revoking the natural rights of people born in america.
It's essential that the government finds a way to stifle illegal immigration without denying an American born their inalienable rights as designated in the constitution.
I don't believe that the 14th amendment should be changed even though they claim that it encourages immigrants to break the law. But it is understandable that government officials believe these illegal immigrants are taking advantage of the system. If they aren't residents, they don't speak english, and they don't pay taxes how can they be here to get better opportunites and live a better life? As long as these immigrants go through the certain requirements to become U.S. citizens, the fourteenth amendment should not be changed or altered because the child who was born here did not realize what their parents were doing. It would be unfair to punish them for the illegal actions of their parents. Everywhere you go people will try to take advantage of the system so it would be useless to try and change a law. In the future the opinion of the people might change and it wouldn't have mattered.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Sen. Graham does create a strong viewpoint on the matter of illegal immigration, the 14th Amendment should not be altered just because America is dealing with problems with illegal immigration. Even though the amendment was created a century ago does gives no excuse for changing one of America's foundational rights. Illegal immigrants make the decision to move to this nation for better life, not to "drop and leave", as Sen. Graham puts it. People who immigrate to America come to seek a more prosperous life, one with benefits. As a born U.S. citizen, the use of the term "anchor baby" is an imprudent description of children whose parents are the ones who made the decision to move to America, which is "home of the free".
ReplyDeleteThe Constitution has been a fundamental part of America. Altering one amendment just to justify an issue of illegal immigration gives the right for any other amendment to be changed. Illegal immigrants are not the only ones contributing to this factor. For one, illegal immigrants shape America into the country it is. America, compared to many other nations, is blessed for all the knowledge and opportunities available to share. Why try taking that away from those around the world?
Yes, it should be revised, but if you want to come to America and live the American dream, and give your children a better future then there IS a right way to do it. Though I believe it may help slow down the flow of illegal immigration we still will never be able to STOP it. I'm not just trying to point out the latin american's but when Europians, Canadians, Asians, Indians, and even Africans they come to join our country to live better and give their children a better future but for the most part they do it the right way. So there is no excuse AT ALL. We have a set way to do things and if you want to be apart of this great country then do things the proper and legal way.
ReplyDeleteGraham accuses immigrants of coming to America for the wrong reasons. Perhaps, some immigrants do abuse the system, but I agree with Renteria. Immigrants come here for a better life. Many immigrants come here to experience one of the highest standards of the world and escape the hovel they lived in. In addition, some immigrants want their children to receive something they haven’t received, education and wish to achieve something more valuable than a materialistic life; a secured, happy life. America was built on the idea of natural laws with the balance of control of government. America was even found by immigrants and built on diversity. We should welcome these immigrants and grant them natural laws all humans deserve. Anchor babies and illegal immigrants are accused of costing billions of taxpayer-funded dollars for medical services and abuse of the economic system. However, they have also increased productivity, lower costs of goods and services, and give unrequited contributions to Social Security, Medicare and unemployment insurance programs("Taxing Undocumented Immigrants: Separate, Unequal and Without Representation,"). We cannot put complete blame on these immigrants and let the Republicans tamper with one of our important amendments. We should deal with other factors first that are affecting our economic turmoil. Immigration may cause some economic detriment to the country, but also gives some beneficiaries. Also, some immigrants understand America more than some “citizens” does.
ReplyDeleteI don't agree that the 14th amendment shouldn't be revised as stated in the article, but it is clear that illegal immigration is an issue that needs to be fixed. Illegal immigrants should be getting citizenships and typically aren't, and at least those who are having babies here are using them as a reason to get a citizenship, "anchor babies" is what they were called. Those who remain illegal for long periods of time, taking work from others for less pay, are causing massive issues. I think it is proper to think of the baby as well, it wasn't their choices, as Renteria stated, and should not be punished for something that their parents have done. Also the article state that the immigrants were being attracted here for the wrong reasons, but it seems that it is the right reasons, if they want to live here, because its better than their homeland, or have their child live here for the betterment of their future, I feel that is what is most important, that America is a land where people go because they believe life will be better.
ReplyDeleteI moved to the U.S. about 7years ago with the visa (green card). To earn that status, we had to wait about a year, but we only planed for few months, so our family moved into my grandparents home for about a year. I am not saying that illegal immigrants are harmful to society, or they bring negative effects. But all I would like to say is the regulation should be strict so that people who legally immigrated would feel it is right, and proper.
ReplyDeleteYes, America is still the land of opportunity and a melting pot of the world, but to continue this tradition, the government have to redefine to protect the people and keep our rules and laws fair to everyone.
Republicans in my opinion are facing illegal immigration in the wrong way. Instead of trying to revise the 14th amendment to sabotage illegal immigrant's "baby anchors", they should instead give illegal immigrants a way to become legal citizens. Many illegal immigrants come here because of the various job opportunities we offer here. We can use this to our advantage by giving them work visa's that allow them to stay temporarily and also give them a chance to work their way from that to citizenship. Doing this could also stimulate our economy, because we'd have a new class of people coming to America who will be able to spend their money on consumer goods offered in America.
ReplyDeleteGraham is being ignorant in claiming that foreigners are just here to "drop and leave." Just like Madelyn and Taylor said, the Fourteenth Amendment stands to help our citizens and to preserve our rights. Taking away the liberties of the the Fourteenth Amendment will only create uproar from our citizens. Is the aims and priorities of the government set to rid the nation of immigrants as opposed to preserving our rights? Immigrants will by themselves fluctuate toward America with or without the Fourteenth Amendment. America has always been a nation with immigrants. Why discriminate now? It has been and most likely will be the land of opportunity for the next 100 years if not more. Regulation of immigration is the best solution here, but it's already being done. No foreigner could migrate to the United States without going through a series of Federal Approval. As long as the government keeps to its quota and guidelines, the problem of immigration won't be at all detrimental.
ReplyDeleteTrying to rule out the Fourteenth Amendment just to solve one issue is just ridiculous and immature on the part of the proposers.
I completely disagree with the revision.
ReplyDeleteThere are two reasons why this revision will not work: (1) it would cause way too much controversy and too many meetings and drafts in order to re-amend the 14th amendment, and (2) almost no one will listen and enforce the new law.
We discussed about the lengthy time needed to enforce a new law, and how one person can easily hold back the passing of a new law. Ethical issues can never be answered with 100% agreement on yes or no. Too many people will be cross divided on the issue, further backing up any chance of revising the amendment. This revision may also violate John Locke's idea of natural rights. Humans are born with innate rights not governed by the government. By telling people they cannot live freely because the fourteenth amendment denies it would defy natural rights, despite being a US citizen or not.
No one will listen to the law because people who illegally immigrate to the US will not have a "I have illegally immigrated to this nation" sign sticking to their back. Normal civilians will not be able to distinguish who illegally immigrated, nor will care enough to report each and every illegal immigrant they see. For those who have access to information that will help them distinguish who illegally crossed or not, probably won't report it if they have some compensation. Also, this is one of those ideas where the more one tries to go against something, the more it will backlash on him or her. There is no real quick fix to this problem, and any long term fix will be too costly and inefficient. I feel as though the best bet is to just let it by and accept what is going on.
I have to agree with Daniel Chilton here. Most immigrants come over to the US for better opportunities, not to simply have their children born here. For example, North Korean immigrants come to the US because it is much better than North Korea. My dad was an immigrant as well; he came here with a student visa to study, not to start up a family in the US.
ReplyDeleteAs for the children themselves, it isn't their fault that their parents decided to be in the US when they're born. The citizenship of the children should not be taken away, even if the parents are illegal immigrants. after 10 or 15 years, that child will have spent his/her whole life in America and learned the American way of living, so how could that child not be an American? Citizenship cannot be taken away, because if it is, it deprives the child of liberty and life.
Instead of altering the 14th amendment, maybe more restrictions on illegal immigration would be better. Altering an amendment to the US constitution is much harder than creating new immigration laws.
If the 14th amendment is to be altered, it should be by a slight degree, like not recognizing the births of illegal or touring immigrants who are here for less than six months. The parents should have to prove they came here for more than just the benifit of birthing a US citizen. Is it fair to reject someone born here citizenship based on their parents, not entirely, but is fair that illegal aliens are abusing our Constitution, well that's not black and white either. The gray area is they are using a loophole to try and provide their children the lives they could never get in their home country, but doing it by exposing a 150 year old law not meant for this situation. I do stand by my small adjustment earlier, but i can certainly see why people try to loophole the 14th amendment
ReplyDeleteAlicia makes a very good point. Illegal immigrants most likely come to America for the amazing opportunities that they can have. I also agree with Camren when he says there is a right way to be a part of the US. I don't think they should change the 14th amendment because this could spark problems or issues with people wanting to change other amendments. I believe they should deal with illegal immigrants another way.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I'm concerned, the 14th amendment can stay the way it is. Yes, immigration is a big problem but changing the 14th amendment goes against the very principles our country stands on. America can't try to avoid this problem by amending the constitution. Illegal immigratns would find away to stay here even without having children. Either way the babies born are full citizens and nothing should take that away from them. I agree with Elizabeth Wydra in the article. Let's fix this issue with legislation, not by amending the 14th amendment.
ReplyDeleteThere are ways for immigrants to become legal citizens other than illegal immigration. I will say that the risk and danger put into illegal immigration is noteworthy, but if a person is willing to go through the trials and tribulations that come along with that, why can't they just go through the troubles of the citizenship process?
ReplyDeleteRevisions should be made to the 14th amendment, but only changes that are within reason. There will always be people that will be able to defeat the system or go around it, so unless enforcement of these new regulations are made, the 14th amendment should remain. The 14th amendment should be fair to those who have gone through the citizenship process and struggled through those hardships. There is no purpose of gaining legal status if illegal immigrants are going to take their chances of success away.
Although illegal immigrants come to America to gain opportunities, if they keep the status of an illegal immigrant they won't make much success. Unless they gain legal citizenship, moving up in America's society would be nearly impossible. How much could an illegal immigrant provide for a child that is rightly an American citizen? If they need to remain incognito from society, they don't have much of a chance to provide sufficient education for their child to make a better life for themselves.
Wow. A controversial topic in politics. That never happens... I say this proposed revision of the 14th amendment does not only cover a large spectrum of people but also appears a bit hypocritical at the source. "People come here to have babies," Senator Lindsey Graham said. But didn't millions of families before him come to achieve the same purpose? And to a fuller extent, give their families a better life. As others have surely stated in this blog, America was formed on the basis of foreigners entering the country to escape the conditions of their previous lives. How can a country so open close its doors to families so dire in need? The United States must implement a citizenship program that allows illegal aliens already here the opportunity to become legitimate members of our society.
ReplyDeleteIllegal immigrants come to America for the opportunity to lead better lives. Although illegal immigration is an issue that needs to be fixed, the Fourteenth Amendment does not need to be revised.
ReplyDeleteFor many years, America has been the land of opportunity. The illegal immigrants are desperate to provide chances for their children that they themselves had not had. Their children have not done anything wrong and should not be punished for something their parents have done.
While illegal immigration is a problem that needss to be addressed, revising the Fourteenth Amendment is not the correct way of attempting to fix it.
The fourteenth amendment does not need to be advised. People come here for equal opportunities. Those parents that have their kids in America probably want their child to have a better life. What is wring with wanting their child to have a better life? I do not think that changing the fourteenth amendment will actually fix the illegal immigration problem. It would not be fair for those who actually want to be citizens too. The fourteenth amendment should stay as it is and the government should think of a different way to deal with illegal immigration.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that the fourteenth amendment needs to be revised. Babies born in the U.S. should have all of the same rights regardless of whether they were born to illegal immigrants or legal American citizens. It would be unfair and unjust to take away the rights of a child who hasn't done anything wrong. I also think it is pretty unfair of senator Graham to make such a huge generalization about illegal immigrants just using their babies as "anchors." Immigrants want a better life for their children and themselves, and they should be able to obtain it. I'm sure there are cases of immigrants who take advantage of the system, but that doesn't mean all of them are. Illegal immigration is obviously a problem, but i don't think it should be addressed by taking away the rights of their children.
ReplyDeleteThis subject while seemingly controversial has some clear and basic principles. While certain people see our constitution as being an oh so important document containing sanctity, its really just a groundwork of precedents or rules that were meant to be changed eventually. Its also true our immigration policies certainly differ with other industrialized countries throughout the world especially that birth in the U.S. guarantees citizenship even if by illegal aliens. Possible legislation that would lessen the impact or strain that is spoken of by Sen. Graham could read "if the parents of the child born in the U.S. are here illegally than that child and it's parents are all subject to normal regulations and procedures eg. deportation" or whatever the current policy is. If the parents can't be connected with the child or if the child is just dropped off in the U.S. and the parents aren't trying to use it as an "anchor baby" then maybe the child can gain automatic citizenship and stay in the country within the foster care system. Basically any legislation that removes the incentive or encourages the parents to have their child born the U.S. could be a possible solution.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I don't think the 14th amendment needs to be revised or changed in any way. While illegal immigrants are obviously just that, illegal, they aren't really harming the country in any way. Some argue that they enjoy America's opportunities without paying taxes - which is very true. However, their illegal labor keeps costs down for average consumers, including legal citizens. Furthermore, if the amendment was changed what would happen to these anchor babies? Say an illegal immigrant comes to the United States, has a son, raises him, and then passes away. Then one day the government deports the son from the only country he has ever known because of his parent's mistakes? That is cruel and unusual punishment right there.
ReplyDeleteIllegal immigration is clearly a pressing problem in the United States. However, revising the Fourteenth Amendment is much easier said than done, and such a revision would carry an extremely heavy weight later on in our judicial system. I definitely agree with Karthik's comment suggesting tighter illegal immigration restrictions instead of revising an extremely important amendment to our constitution. Putting aside the potentially questionable motivations of the parents, a child born in this country should not be stripped of his/her rights simply as a punishment to his/her parents. It is up to the US government to deal accordingly with illegal immigrants, but the children of these people are not at any fault.
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