Senators Rand Paul and David Vitter have introduced a resolution to amend the Constitution to deny citizenship to children of undocumented immigrants who are born in the United States. The amendment would reverse the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of citizenship to all children born on American soil, limiting citizenship to American-born babies of U.S. Citizens, legal permanent residents, and active-duty members of the Armed Forces.
Michael Keegan, President of People For the American Way, responded:
“The Fourteenth Amendment’s citizenship clause did two things: it undid one of the greatest injustices in American history, and it ensured that no person would again be denied the full rights of citizenship because of the political whims and prejudices of his or her time. Attempts to remove this fundamental right from the Constitution are short-sighted and irresponsible. Instead of trying to drive millions of American children into the shadows, our legislators should be focused on creating real and lasting immigration reform that improves our economy without crippling the Constitution.”
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