Report: Illegal population to soar if birthright citizenship repealed

Source: Orange County Register

As the debate heats up over automatic citizenship for those born in the U.S., a report released Wednesday states that doing away with birthright citizenship would spark a rise in the population of those who are in the country illegally. Members of the anti-illegal immigration movement contend that ending birthright citizenship for the children of those in the country illegally would reduce illegal immigration to the United States or keep foreigners from overstaying their visas.

However, the report "The Demographic Impact of Repealing Birthright Citizenship" states that eliminating birthright citizenship would not shrink the unauthorized population but likely expand it by 5 million people in the next decade.

The report was co-authored by Jennifer Van Hook at the Population Research Institute Pennsylvania State University and Michael Fix with the Migration Policy Institute, a non-partisan Washington, D.C., think-tank that studies the movement of people worldwide.

While estimates vary, the report states that about 11 million people live in the country illegally, many who have or plan to give birth to U.S.-born children. "And these children grow up to have children of their own," the report states. "Under a constitutional repeal of the birthright citizenship language of the 14th Amendment or the proposed Birthright Citizenship Act of 2009, these U.S.-born descendents of unauthorized immigrants would be denied legal status in the United States, even though in all likelihood they would be thoroughly American in other respects."

Read more: http://www.ocregister.com/news/citizenship-265554-birthright-states.html

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I realize that teabaggers and the repub base don't read (or need) studies (pandering requires only emotions, not logic), but they can put this in their pipe and smoke it. :)

they be "stateless", unable to travel legally to any other country, not even Mexico?

Different countries have different laws about these things. As far as I'm concerned, citizenship from birth is a very large part of what makes the US the US. Without that, it would be wholly different country, and not one that I'd be proud to be a citizen of.

I envy you, I haven't been proud to be a citizen of the US since the Carter administration - lol!

I've lived in Europe for a few years now and honestly don't plan on ever moving back to the US. Despite that, growing up there and being from there shapes my identity whether I like it or not. I'm certainly not ashamed of it, and some things I'm quite proud of. I still like taking part in political discussions about the country and having a stake in its future.

I lived in Europe for a few years and am beginning to wish I'd stayed. Now it's too hard to get residency there. I would love to feel some sense of pride in my country again, but I'm losing hope that the US will do the kinds of things that would allow me to be proud of it within my lifetime, at least.

You would be a citizen of your parents country.

The law would take effect on Jan 1 2012 (let's say).

So at that point, people would no longer have any incentive in going to the US with the intent of have "anchor" children.

It would be a deterrant.



I'm speculating of course.

Amend the constitution and make it retroactive.

Because if they make this stupidity retroactive, and we follow its ultimate consequence, it will mean everybody here is illegal... other than the native Americans. Or ironically, the shitload of Mexicans who can trace their family trees to states in the SouthWest waaaaaaay before any Mr. Smith showed up.

WTF is wrong with these people?

And frankly, retroactive citizenship-denying legislation's really one of those things that should result in people skipping a few steps in the Four Boxes if a government actually tries that kind of stunt.

It's a right-wing myth, created to instill fear in those who want an all-white country. There is zero evidence that anyone moves to the US illegal for the explicit purpose of having their children be US citizens.

Amending the constitution is not that easy anymore ... fortunately!

This is this year's gay marriage amendment, flag burning amendment. It's pretend work to show their constituents instead of ACTUAL work, like legislation that will create jobs or protect food and whistleblowers and bridges.

The Amendment overrule the Dred Scott decision that denied citizenship to blacks.

No one will quickly amend the Constitution to remove this. The Cons stir this pot to keep their voters angry and willing to vote.

linguistically American children to be basically stateless. Imagine a teenager 17 years old who has lived in the U.S. with his parents all his life suddenly being deported back to Guatemala, a place he has never even visited.

It is unfair an unrealistic to do away with birthright citizenship.

It involves a soldier named Nolan and Raymond Burr.

really arrogant to feel that your family tree would somehow be exempt. I see this & think how many years can they go back? The wingers have already started to try to get people thrown out who've been here 20 + years. Plus, look at Lieberman, self-apply it