Only in Texas? Unfortunately Not — Birthright Citizenship Challenged by Texas Bill

Anyone born in the United States is an American citizen, a right with post-Civil War roots and defined in the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. But a controversial bill filed for the 2007 session of the Texas Legislature, one of a flurry of measures seeking crackdowns on illegal immigration, is challenging this long-held tenet of U.S. citizenship. House Bill 28, filed Monday by Rep. Leo Berman, R-Tyler, would exclude U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants from access to public education and health care, unemployment, public housing, disability and other state benefits. Analysts think it is the first-ever state challenge of birthright citizenship. With the start of the legislative session still more than seven weeks away, the bill is stirring an outcry among critics, who say it is blatantly unconstitutional and who question the fairness of punishing U.S. citizen children for their parents’ decisions to enter the country illegally. The dust-up is rekindling a bitter debate about birthright citizenship and the 14th Amendment that provides it.   For the full story, click here.

It seems that there is a lot of this type of stuff going on at the state and local levels.  Even the Sensenbrenner Bill did not go as far as Hazlton and Escondido went.  Hopefully, the next Congress will seriously consider comprehensive immigration reform and possibly relieve the nation of the state and local outbursts against immigrants — and some U.S. citizens.

KJ