The Dangers of Restricting Birthright Citizenship
Restricting birthright citizenship would alienate many U.S. raised immigrants while providing little benefit.
· “Anchor babies” cannot invoke the I-130 (alien relative) residency request for their parents until they are 21 years old. Undocumented immigration is not driven by this incentive due to its long timeframe.
· Denying citizenship to children who have grown up in America leaves them vulnerable to deportation to a country to which they have no ties.
o This also reduces these children’s ability to contribute to the economy and repay the cost spent by the state on their education.
Restricting birthright citizenship will compromise the national identity and character of America.
Unlike France and other Western nations that have restricted birthright citizenship, the U.S. does not have a history of racial or ethnic national identity. The U.S.’s immigrant history and multi-cultural identity support national values contrary to those of the proposed amendment. (Guendelsberger, John W. “Access to Citizenship for Children Born within the State to Foreign Parents.” The American Journal of Comparative Law, Vol. 40, No. 2. (Spring, 1992), pp. 379-429).
Birthright citizenship promotes attachment to the national community.
Children born and raised in the U.S. are more likely to assimilate if they are guaranteed citizenship. Without this guarantee, children are insecure and there is little incentive for them to be productive and law-abiding. After all, “the only way to learn how to be a citizen is to be one.” (Leaveau & Wihtol de Wenden. “La Deuxiéme Génération.” In 47 Pouvoirs. 61-71, 1988)
Leave the constitution intact.