Should the Children of Illegal Aliens Be U.S. Citizens?

Allow me to put this in real simple terms. Children born in the United States to parents subject to a foreign jurisdiction do not qualify for automatic birthright citizenship under the provisions of the fourteenth amendment. End of story.

Several months back I received, in the mail, a notification from the U.S. Census Bureau, indicating that I would be receiving a "very important national survey." This notification went on to say,

"When you receive the questionnaire, please fill it out and return it."

Obviously I'm required to accomplish two things, (1) fill out the survey, and (2) return it to the Census Bureau. Otherwise the procedure is incomplete. All rational persons will assent to the simple truth I've conveyed above.

But when it comes to this issue of birthright citizenship for children of aliens subject to a foreign jurisdiction, certain persons lose their reasons, in spite of the fact that it involves the same basic procedures illustrated above.

The fourteenth amendment establishes two criteria to establishing U.S. citizenship, born or naturalized, and subject to U.S. jurisdiction. Note that the connective word "and" is inserted between the two provisions. It doesn't say "or," nor does it say "and/or," both of which would be absurd. Meaning that BOTH of these provisions, as with the Census Bureau's instructions above, must be followed to complete the process.

Therefore, only children of citizen parents subject to U.S. jurisdiction qualify for automatic birthright citizenship according to the stipulations of the fourteenth amendment. That is all.

Terry Morris of OK 3:36PM September 11, 2010