Arizona taking further steps...getting rid of anchor babies

Well the constitution spells out in no uncertain terms that any child born on US soil is a natural born citizen. I honestly don't see how this could possibly get through. If Arizona does not give birth certificates to them, I'm not sure what their recourse would be to prove their citizenship because they ARE citizens.

THIS is unconstitutional, and for that reason I don't support it...unless they amend the Constitution and that ain't happening.

I am not sure it will pass Constitutional muster. But great if it works!

I agree with what has already been posted about the Constitution and would also like to ask a question. If a child born in this country could not obtain a birth certificate because his/her parents are here illegally, how does this child ever obtain one? Do we really want a whole class of children who officially don't exist...who are kept hidden at home because they can't go to school?

Anyone who ever referred to our Constitution as a "breathing" document should be all for this. I mean, it's supposed to adjust for the times, right? Well, there's no more slavery and no more need to have babies provide an achor so your American ship doesn't sail away. It was never intended to have people rushing frantically over the boarder while they're 8 1/2 months pregnant to get free child delivery services, an "American" baby, and the subsequent care that comes with it. Everyone for a more social-like healthcare system should be 100% for this, too, and here's why. America is supposedly the only civilized country on the planet to still operate bass ackwards and not provide citizens with free (nothing's 'free' but we won't go there!) healthcare. So we're wayyyy behind. Well, America is also the only country to simply hand out citizenship to any and everyone born here. So we need to be more like the rest of the world!

I'm all for trying it. And let "them" take it to the supreme court. If an amendment to the constitution is necessary, then by all means, let's do it. I'm tired of supporting anchor babies and their extended families...

Herro lilwonders456 What a variety of responses, however the gist of the discussion seems to be, 14th amendment rights, regardless of how we personally feel about the issue. Anchor babies do cost us a lot of money, medical care, schooling, etc. Is there another way to deal with the situation? Amending the Constitution usually takes years. Prosperous mylotting

That particular tactic won't work on a state level. The change has to be federal. A state can't deny U.S. citizenship to someone born here when the U.S. constitution states that those born here are natural citizens. In the unlikely case that it passes, chances are a court will throw it out the window before the ink has even dried. Deleting anchor babies from the equation would make the whole immigration mess a bit easier, but it's a tender subject when you're messing with 14th amendment rights. I myself am on the fence about it, wavering unsteadily back and forth between support and condemn.

Yeh, I too have constitutional concerns about this. This is different than the immigration bill they passed, that at least can claim the backing of the supreme court in that it is concurrent with federal law. This one however directly conflicts with the constitution. Like it or not, the constitution is the constitution and we can't just support it when it is convenient. The true test is in supporting it even when we disagree with the results. The proper way to handle this is to amend the constitution and repeal the amendment that allows this.

The Constitution could not possibly be clear that those born here are citizens. If the State of Arizona issues birth certificates to some citizens and not others, it violates the 14th Amendment rights of those citizens to whom it does not issue birth certificates. I doubt the case would even reach the Supreme Court -- a federal court will strike the law down, a federal appeals court will uphold the action of the federal court, and the Supreme Court will deny certiorari. The 14th Amendment exists for good reasons. I don't think Arizona will manage to roll it back.

I was just telling my Dad that this should be done. Otherwise there is a big issue about forcing US citizens out of the country because their parents are being deported. I think this would help deter illegal immigration. I have no problem with legal immigration. I did a paper on immigration and it takes a LEGAL immigrant about 20-something years to start contributing to society. (That is when you count the impact that them and their offsprings add to the cost of education and other things) So imagine how long it would take an illegal.