Proposed Arizona law targets "birthright" citizenship

(Reuters) - Arizona Republicans are to introduce legislation on Thursday seeking to challenge the right to U.S. citizenship for the children of legal and illegal immigrants born in the state.

State Rep. John Kavanagh said Republicans would introduce two bills in the Arizona Legislature seeking to provoke a legal review of the 14th amendment to the Constitution, which anchors citizenship rights for the children of immigrants.

The 14th Amendment guarantees citizenship to "all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof."

It was adopted in 1868 after the U.S. Civil War to ensure citizenship for former African-American slaves.

The immediate aim of the legislation "is to trigger ... a Supreme Court review of the phrase 'subject to the jurisdiction thereof' in the 14th amendment," Kavanagh told Reuters in a telephone interview.

It ultimately seeks "to deny citizenship to any child born of parents who are not citizens of the United States, be they illegal aliens, or foreigners on business or for tourist purposes," he added.

The proposals are to be introduced separately in the state House of Representatives and Senate, where Republicans have a majority.

Kavanagh said the legislation would likely come to a vote in several weeks, after legislators vote on the cash-strapped border state's budget.

The move by Arizona Republicans is an opening salvo in a coordinated battle announced by legislators in several states in recent weeks that seeks to deny birthright citizenship to children of illegal immigrants.

It follows the desert state's tough immigration crackdown last year that required police to quiz those they suspected were in the country illegally about their immigration status. Key parts of the state law were blocked by a federal judge before they came into effect.

Arizona has appealed the ruling and is fighting several other civil suits lodged by plaintiffs including Hispanic and civil rights' groups.

On Thursday, state Democrats slammed their Republican colleagues' latest proposal as a waste of "taxpayers' time and money" that would tie the state up in further costly litigation.

"Instead of focusing on jobs, the economy and a strong future for Arizona, (the backers of the law) want to get Arizona involved in another losing lawsuit," state Sen. Kyrsten Sinema said in a statement.

"Republicans should try standing up for real immigration reform instead of another political battle that solves nothing and costs money," she added.

(Reporting by Tim Gaynor; additional reporting by David Schwartz; editing by Greg McCune)

So Obama's kids might get deported? LOL

(01-27-2011 11:05 PM)smn1256 Wrote:  So Obama's kids might get deported? LOL

Kenya, Indonesia, take your pick.

At least nationwide, I don't get the sense that popular-opinion would be in support of the "citizenship bill" that is apparently going to be debated in the Arizona legislature. But then again, it just might.

Meanwhile, if people like Kyrsten Sinema (the Democrat quoted in the article) are really that offended by this bill and the surrounding debate over it, she and they would do well to support Real border-control, Real limits on immigration, and Real efforts to deport illegal aliens who commit crimes involving violence, DUI, or illegal drugs.

(01-28-2011 02:35 PM)Native Georgian Wrote:  At least nationwide, I don't get the sense that popular-opinion would be in support of the "citizenship bill" that is apparently going to be debated in the Arizona legislature. But then again, it just might.

There are some small percentages of strong opinion on both sides, and a big chunk in the middle that could go either way.

I think the election in Herndon, VA a few years ago was a bellwether that large numbers of people do care about the issue, but this is a very extreme proposal.

So, it will depend greatly on how the message is presented.