[Blood of Tyrants]

The big problem is that the US automatically grants citizenship to anyone born here, even if their mother is an illegal alien at the time.

[IYAS9YAS]

The big problem is that the US automatically grants citizenship to anyone born here, even if their mother is an illegal alien at the time.

Agreed. I've said this for years. The child's status should reflect the status of the parents. Here legally, citizen; not here legally (visa expired, entered illegally, whatever voids legal status), then illegal and sent packing with the parent(s).

[WOSG]

Want to clarify FreepShop's generally correct point:

It is the current law that any child born here is a US Citizen. There is a misperception that the 14th amendment requires it; it does not. The 14th amendment suggests that children born here of *legal* residents must be US Citizens. A supreme court ruling in late 19th century, The Yee case, covered that. But back then, the concept of people 'overstaying tourist visas' hadnt been invented.

Now we have the situation of pregnant border crossers coming to the US to give birth to 'anchor babies'.

We can and we SHOULD require that children born of illegal aliens, or parents here on tourist visas only, are not US citizens but carry the citizenship of their parents.

This would clarify alot of problems and erase a huge loophole and incentive for illegal immigration.

However, in this particular case, the father of the children (although later deported) was a legal resident for a time, and so the kids were US citizens. still, one wonders why the whole family didnt follow the father back to palestine when he was deported. They stayed here and lived on food stamps, etc. hmmmm