Lindsey Graham considering overturning the 14th amendment to end ‘birthright citizenship.’

[cal04]

Lindsey Graham considering overturning the 14th amendment to end ‘birthright citizenship.’
http://thinkprogress.org/2010/07/29/lindsey-graham-citizenship/

Politico reports that Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who many previously thought would co-sponsor comprehensive immigration reform this year, is considering radically changing the 14th amendment. Graham may introduce a constitutional amendment that would overturn the portion of the Constitution which states “ll 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.” In other words, Graham wants to end the practice of granting citizenship to the children of undocumented immigrants born on U.S. soil. Politico reports:

“I may introduce a constitutional amendment that changes the rules if you have a child here,” Graham said during an interview with Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren. “Birthright citizenship I think is a mistake, that we should change our Constitution and say if you come here illegally and you have a child, that child’s automatically not a citizen.”

“I’m a practical guy, but when you go forward, I don’t want 20 million more 20 years from now,” he said. “I want to be fair. I want to be humane. We need immigration policy, but it should be on our terms, not someone else’s. I don’t know how to fix it all. But I do know what makes people mad, that 12 million people came here and there seems to be no system to deal with stopping 20 million 20 years from now.”

Graham wouldn’t be the first lawmaker to introduce legislation that would dramatically alter the 14th amendment. However, similar efforts have been led by Congress’ right-wing demagogues. Graham is now also following in the footsteps of the rabidly right-wing Arizona state Sen. Russell Pearce — the sponsor of SB-1070 who plans to “target the mother” by going after the “anchor baby racket.” A few months ago, Graham introduced a framework for immigration reform with Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) that included a path to legalization for undocumented workers. In March, Graham walked away from the table, calling immigration reform “dead” after health care reform passed. Since then, Graham has joined his fellow Republicans in defending Arizona, blocking immigration reform, and calling for an enforcement-only approach.

[stray cat]

1. people do come here to give birth to a child so they will be a citizen

[Lance_Boyle]

4. And then supporters of illegal aliens use that to argue that we ought not

deport the parents because that would separate them from the anchors they dropped.

I can see Graham's point, but I do not believe altering the Constitution for this is wise. Just deport the illegals who can be deported - if they elect to leave their citizen children behind, that's their problem. The "think of the children" argument does not fly when you consider the peril these people forced their fetuses into by illegally crossing in the first place.

[dflprincess]

7. Your compassion and concern for other humans is truly awe inspriring

:sarcasm:

How lucky for you that apparently the women in your family have "dropped" their fetuses in U.S. territory for more than one generation - though it would appear some of you must have been dropped on your heads.

If you really wanted to do something about undocumented workers you would go after the employers who are hiring them and advocate treating them as harshly as you would the individuals they have hired. The workers are not the ones who are causing the problem.

[Lance_Boyle]

10. I do advocate going after illegal employers.

Yet every time a major raid is announced, DU's resident squad of illegal alien supporters decries it as unfair to "people who are just trying to make a living." How, after all, can those poor illegals make it in the US without YOBS?!?

[dflprincess]

15. Because when those raids happen all we hear about are the workers being rounded up.

We don't hear about any members of management of the company raided being hauled off to jail and charged. In fact, the raids help the companies hiring undocumented workers because they help keep the workers too frightened to say anything about rotten working condtions.

There are U.S. corporations who advertise for workers in Mexico & Central America and they know damn well the people they are targeting will not get work permits before they come here. When the government starts arresting some corporate officers for violating immigration laws then I'll believe it's serious about doing something.

[UndertheOcean]

12. So ? Why is that eating you up ? And underage college kids drink alchohol

who cares.

[Iggo]

14. Fine with me.

[sharp_stick]

2. Must be a really slow news day

Lindsay Graham loves to yammer on about topics that he knows full well will never get anywhere when there is no other reason to show his face on the tube.

[Ozymanithrax]

3. It will not pass...

But it will be good to get the Teaparty back on his side.

[MajorChode]

5. It's nothing more than political posturing

It doesn't have snowball's chance in hell of going anywhere, but it's designed to polarize legislators so the GOP can have more ammo for the election.

[Ozymanithrax]

17. You are right. But they have seen that political posturing is like using ..

beaters in the African Bush to drive out game. It works. Abortions, Gays, and God are the posturing from the right that has worked to bring out he vote for them.

[MajorChode]

19. It works up to a point

It serves to stir up the lowest denominators and keep them coming back to the voting booth, but it alienates those with more than 2 synapses actively firing. When instances like these are widely publicized in the MSM, I think it hurts them far more than it helps. When you only see shit like that on Faux, probably not so much.

[Ozymanithrax]

21. In high turn out elecitons it can hurt. In most midterm elections...

where the turn out is about 39%, it has been a real asset. It also works to turn some people off to voting at all, which is another benefit to the right. We have a government elected by a majority who vote.

[MajorChode]

24. That's exactly why churches are so effective in smaller elections

Even if you can control just 5% of the population, you can dominate small local elections where the turnout is low, and in some cases you can keep real nutbags in office for a very long time before they are discovered. That's why the Dover school board and the fuckstick Don McLeroy were voted out.

[Iggo]

6. And the Dems are coming for your guns, too.

[Bitwit1234]

8. Gee so Graham has that much authority...He can single handedly

overturn a provision of the Constitution. I thought it took 3/4 or 3/8 something like take plus ratification by states. But then republicans are starting to run this country again I guess anything goes.

[Retrograde]

22. 2/3 of both houses and ratification by 3/4 of the states

The writers of the Constitution didn't make it particularly easy to amend.

I can see an argument for restricting nationality by birth, but only if it came with provisions to make residence and naturalization easier. For example, any one who wants to apply for a green card can get one, automatic naturalization for children whose parents become citizens, speedier naturalization processes. Oh, and stricter controls on employers to make sure they are paying the legally required payroll taxes and minimum (at least) wages to all employees.

[WolverineDG]

9. Hey, he'll have some support here on DU from some "liberal & progressive" folks nt

[ProgressiveEconomist]

31. kick

[Orsino]

11. You first, Lindsey. n/t

[jpak]

13. and if it passes only Republicans will qualify as "American"

Lindsey is an asshole

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[trotsky]

18. Does this mean we can deport Michelle Malkin? n/t

[MajorChode]

23. You could deport just damn near everyone

If your parents' immigration status was in question at the time you were born, does that also not place yours in jeopardy? You could go way up the family tree with this one.

Fortunately I'm a card carrying member of the Choctaw Nation. They might revoke my citizenship, but they wouldn't have anywhere to deport me.

[Rage for Order]

28. On the contrary..."Native" Americans came from Asia

Off you go

[MajorChode]

29. Maybe so, but we were here first

Everyone else can leave.

[TheKentuckian]

20. I consider birthright citizenship a Civil War level issue, no compromise.

[MdFriendofHillary]

25. I absolutely agree.

These are fighting words from Lindsay Graham!
Aside from the obnoxious rhetoric saying women "come here to 'drop a baby'" <@!#$!!>, the Constitutional principal that any person born here has the same rights as any other person born here is integral to ending slavery.
The notion that babies born of s...laves were, themselves, slaves, regardless of who their father was key to the worst depravity of American History and I, for one, will NOT GO BACK.
Stopping this would be a cause worth every bit of strength one has.

[tritsofme]

26. Few developed countries extend birthright citizenship

I'm not sure where exactly I stand on the issue, but is a discussion worth having IMO.

[political_Dem]

27. I think Lindsay has been drinking the hard stuff lately. Has anyone attempted an intervention?

[ProgressiveEconomist]

30. LINKS: Graham may not NEED a Constitutional Amendment to end birthright citizenship

IIRC Lindsey Graham also said last night on "Fox News" that just 3 Supreme Court decisions stand in the way of "restoring" what a far-right Texas law professor fantasizes was the "original intent" of the 14th.

All that might be necessary is another Arizona bill (already on the agenda of the same state senator who brought us "papers please") to pass in that looney-tunes legislature and make its way to the Bush-v-Gore-tilted USSC.

See the earlier GD thread on this at http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=8837480&mesg_id=8837889 for some EXTREMELY interesting links on this.

The ultra-right has been VERY successful over the last decade in using the Bush-v-Gore-tilted USSC to overturn GENERATIONS of solid USSC decisions with specious "legal scholarship" from the ultra-right. Think of gun control and campaign finance, for example.