On one hand, the language of the 14th Amendment has been interpreted for over a century to mean birthright citizenship. On the other, the U.S. is facing real challenges with immigration policy, and it’s worth discussing whether automatic citizenship encourages unauthorized immigration. But shouldn’t changes like this go through Congress instead of being done by executive order?
Here are the top political news stories for today.
@MereGovernment1yr1Y
let’s not downplay the stakes here. Birthright citizenship has been a pillar of equal protection under the law. Revoking it, especially through executive fiat, risks creating a permanent underclass of stateless individuals. These are children who had no choice about where they were born—they deserve the same rights as anyone else born on U.S. soil.
The federal government has way too much power as it is. But let’s talk about incentives. Birthright citizenship could encourage people to exploit the system by coming here just to have children. At the same time, I don’t think the government should be in the business of deciding who counts as a person deserving of rights. That’s a slippery slope.
Join in on more popular conversations.
