The Coming of Mexifornia - Victor Davis Hanson’s Second Thoughts on Immigration

Hudson Institute ^ | August 21, 2003 | John Fonte

[SpinyNorman]

I agree with this in part, and disagree in part. I agree that children born to border violators or illegal aliens should not have US citizenship by virtue of birth here (unless one parent is an American citizen) BUT, I believe that the children of any legal alien resident in the US should be granted citizenship by circumstance of birth. That creates a huge incentive to have legal status, and will probably result in the sort of immigrant citizens we want anyway. I know several legal resident aliens (green cards) whose children were born here and are citizens. They are staying in the US (productively so) because the kids are American citizens and want them to grow up here. Good parents, good kids, they just don't want to give up their old citizenship just yet. I have no problem with that.

Well, I think we are pretty much in agreement. My point was that children should have the matching resident status of their parents, defaulting to the highest citizenship status of parents of mixed citizenship, i.e. a citizen married to a LEGAL resident alien should be a citizen automatically. On the other hand, we would have to look pretty closely at the children of a citizen married to an illegal, but I think there are mechanisms to deal with that already. I totally reject any proposition that grants citizenship of any caliber to someone who came here illegally. Period.

I have absolutlely no problem with legal immigrants. My wife is one.

[ought-six]

We have an estimated half million illegal Mexicans in Chicago alone.

[ought-six]

"If things persist as they are going, the United States will become a third world country".

Absolutely, 100% correct. The writing's on the wall folks. I don't want to be a Mexican, or a Guatemalan, or any other third world subject. Do you?

[ought-six]

I don't run any more. I've drawn my line in the sand here. Hell, I'm in my 50s now, and I will retreat no further. To bastardize Nez Perze Chief Joseph's words: "From where the sun now stands, I will fight until the end." I retreated from California some 25 years ago when the invasion began to destroy my home state (that destruction is now complete). I will not retreat any further. I will make my stand here.

[jpsb]

The GOP will do nothing, this is the plan. The elites desire to rule like kings and reduce Americans to serf status. There is no other possible explanation, no sane person would allow the nation to be overrun by third world imigrants unless they wanted to turn the US into a third world country.

[CIBvet]

I saw Victor Davis Hansen, along with a Black, former WSJ reporter now in San Diego and some representative of FAIR(?) in a panel discussion on CSpan this week.

VDHansen is completely articulate and soft-spoken, yet doesn't pull any punches on the issue.

Someone posted a hot-link here on FR to the CSpan video of the panel. SUPERB !!!

[CIBvet]

Victor Davis Hansen Panel Video Here

(Thanks to Center For Immigration Studies and FR's dennisw for all his work.)

[JoeSchem]

18) Children born in the U.S. to border violators, illegal aliens or of foreign nationals in the U.S. for any reason (including temporary visitor, school or work visas,) shall not be eligible for citizenship as circumstances of birth, nor shall the parents or parent’s family members (relatives) be conferred U.S. citizenship as a result of such births.

I believe this would require an amendment to the Constitution, since the 14th Amendment authorizes that anyone born in US territory is automatically a US citizen, regardless of parental status. I'm not disapproving of your point, I'm just telling you what lies in store if you want this change.