Tim Pool talks about Trump's recent vow to end birthright citizenship if reelected. Personally, I find this to be an overall good thing. Pool thinks nixing such an entitlement is good, but only in some cases (e.g., if you're on vacation in the States, and you give birth, that shouldn't mean your baby is automatically a US citizen; by contrast, if you're in the States with a green card, and you give birth, then your baby should be considered a US citizen—Pool's stance in a nutshell). I'm for ending all birthright citizenship, but the 14th Amendment of the Constitution—the "equal protection" amendment—specifically says that anyone born on US soil is a US citizen. What's the workaround? Well, that's what Pool discusses.
Interesting. When I first heard about this idea, my thought was it would be unconstitutional, but I get Pool's point. Ultimately, the Supreme Court would have to decide, I imagine. But it makes sense that at least one parent would have to be a citizen (or at least a legal resident) for the 14th Amendment to apply.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason, I immediately thought of the Ted Cruz controversy (was he eligible to run for President) and had to go back to refresh my memory. He was born in Canada, and his father was Cuban, but his mother was an American citizen. That was enough to convey citizenship.
It will be interesting to see how all this plays out. I also like the idea that anyone who enters the country illegally would be ineligible for future citizenship.