WASHINGTON – For nearly 140 years, any child born on U.S. soil, even to an illegal immigrant, has been given U.S. citizenship. Now, some conservatives in Congress are determined to change that.
A group of 92 lawmakers in the House will attempt next week to force a vote on legislation that would revoke the principle of “birthright citizenship,” part of a broader effort to discourage illegal immigration.
The push to change the citizenship policy is backed by some conservative activists and academics. But it could cause problems for the White House and Republican Party, which have been courting Hispanic voters. GOP officials fear the effort to eliminate birthright citizenship will alienate a key constituency, even if the legislation ultimately is rejected by Congress or the courts.
“This one really hits a nerve,” said Cecilia Munoz, vice president for policy of the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic advocacy group. “This is about attempting to deal with a serious policy problem by going after people’s babies. … It doesn’t have to become law for this kind of proposal to offend people.”
The principle at issue rests on the first sentence of the 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868 to guarantee the rights of emancipated slaves: “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.”
“Illegal immigrants are coming for many different reasons,” said Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, one of the lawmakers pushing for the House measure. “Some are coming for jobs. Some are coming to give childbirth. Some are coming to commit crimes. Addressing this problem is needed if we’re going to try to combat illegal immigration on all fronts.”
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