Arizona Senate panel passes birthright citizen law

Source: Associated Press

An Arizona Senate committee approved a bill late Tuesday designed to set up a U.S. Supreme Court case on automatic citizenship for children of illegal immigrants.

The Republican-led Appropriations Committee panel was also expected to consider a more sweeping bill later Tuesday that would target illegal immigrants in public housing, public benefits and the workplace.

That measure, which would add to last year's controversial Arizona illegal immigration law, drew vocal opposition from Democrats, who say its sponsor isn't focused on Republicans' stated top priority, the economy.

... The bill also makes it illegal for an illegal immigrant to drive in the state, providing for a 30-day minimum jail sentence and the seizure of their vehicles if they are convicted.

In housing, it requires public agencies to verify the immigration status of renters and to evict everyone living in a unit if one was found to be an illegal immigrant.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/02/22/state/n152727S09.DTL&tsp=1

This is an amazing step, to me.

First of all, Arizona can't seize jurisdiction from the Feds on immigration and naturalization. These legislators are not lawyers, I would wager, and can't just grab jurisdiction from the Feds. It is in the Constitution.

I have a law degree. This will be struck down in a New York minute.

Unconstitutional as well as lacking jurisdiction.

Maybe Arizona's lawmakers went to Clown College instead?

Kidding aside, Arizona's legislature does include law school grads, and legislators certainly have access to legal advice, so they have no excuse whatever.

Besides, you don't really even need a law degree to read Article 1, Section 8 and Amendment 14, Section 1 and get the big picture on citiizenship and naturalization.

This is no innocent mistake, but garden variety Republicon {sic} thuggery.

This is just a vehicle to get the issue to the Supreme Court.

They know they can't get it in through the front door, so they're back-dooring the issue.

Republicans should build a wall first.

1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.

- Amendment 14

The bill also makes it illegal for an illegal immigrant to drive in the state, providing for a 30-day minimum jail sentence and the seizure of their vehicles if they are convicted.

In housing, it requires public agencies to verify the immigration status of renters and to evict everyone living in a unit if one was found to be an illegal immigrant.

The first provision will end up costing the state more money to enforce the law. More police resources, more jailing of more people and the repo costs.

The second will result in landlords passing those added administrative costs down to their tenants in the form of higher rents or new fees (I can see an "citizenship verification fee" of some sort being added when you want to sign a lease).

And the unfunded mandate on public schools will be a budget buster at a time when they are bleeding resources as it is.

How can they pass this kind of nonscense without a vote? This is unfunded (of course) but the state is dropping half of Medicaid (voter approved) in July. I wish my house was worth something and I'd leave. I think Az has lost 1/3 of it's population and thx to "beheadings in the desert" claims, 50% (or more) of tourism.

I know those aren't true. I stopped visiting AZ, which I used to do at least annually, because of the immigration law. I'm a brunette, doncha know, so I could be jailed for not having my ID with me when I'm in public.

I feel much safer, since I moved a thousand miles farther away.

All persons born or naturalized in the United States and
subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United
States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall
make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges
or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall
any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property,
without due process of law; nor deny to any person within
its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Looks pretty cut and dried to me.

Q3JR4.

The Congress shall have power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;
To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;

To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;

To establish a uniformthroughoutthe United States;

<snip>