Citizenship is guaranteed under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution for persons born within the United States. House Minority Leader John Boehner says he’s open to the idea of changing this.
On Sunday, Boehner added his name to the ranks of GOP leaders who have recently come out in support of changing the interpretation of the 14th Amendment so that U.S.-born children of undocumented immigrants are not automatically granted citizenship.
“I think it’s worth considering,” Boehner said.
Others Republicans who support congressional hearings on the issue include Senators John McCain, Mitch McConnell, Lindsay Graham, Jon Kyl, and Jeff Sessions. Although many discount that the senators’ efforts will get very far, others say it is a way to minimize the incentive for illegal immigration.
“There is a problem. To provide an incentive for illegal immigrants to come here so that their children can be U.S. citizens does, in fact, draw more people to our country,” Boehner said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “I do think that it’s time for us to secure our borders and enforce the law and allow this conversation about the 14th Amendment to continue.”
Boehner asserts that many immigrants come to the U.S. just so they can benefit from their children’s legal status, but critics say such claims are nonsense.
Immigration lawyer Michael Wildes cites that parents wouldn’t receive any benefit from having U.S. born children until they turn 21 when they can sponsor them for legal residency. Wildes gives the movement little chance of succeeding.
The United States is actually one of the few countries that grants citizenship based on birth inside the country. In April 2009, a bill introduced called for changes to the law so that “birthright citizenship” as prescribed by the 14th Amendment only applies if one of the child’s parents is a U.S. citizen or national. The bill has stalled and with a two-thirds vote required in the House and the Senate as well as ratification by three-fourths of the states it is likely to stay that way.
Thank you Boehner…one more reason not to vote for the Republican Party!