Undocumented youth unfazed by anti-immigrant GOP race

Hey Kababayans in Los Angeles how are you committed than ever to your cause? look we Americans don’ like illegal people in America, if you came to America the right way, ok with us Americans. Look people their are laws in America, it’s illegal to be in America if you didn’t come the right way. That’s ok because soon or later they’ll will find you and deport you out of America.

Although she did it in her usual bombastic style and called everyone “stupid” if they didn’t know this, Ann Coulter did make a good case claiming anchor babies are not citizens and she explained why people think it’s true.

Amendment 14 says, first sentence: “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.”

Now strip the extraneous stuff and emphasize a few words:” ALL persons BORN or naturalized in the United States AND subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.

The pro anchor baby side ignores the “AND subject to the jurisdiction thereof.” That means in order for anchor babies to be US citizens two qualifications have to be met: the location of the birth, and jurisdiction. Now “jurisdiction” is the stumbling point. National Review said jurisdiction meant “allegiance.” That argument doesn’t appear to hold up by itself (see below). They are not now or ever were synonymous.

If the typical definition of jurisdiction is intended then the pro anchors win. But subject to the jurisdiction may well pertain only to LEGAL residents. It isn’t as though they aren’t subject to American law, but rather that they are citizens from other nations who broke the law to get here and therefore are not simply subject to American jurisdiction. A British subject is subject to the jurisdiction of the UK. In other words, “Here. “They’re yours.”

Now Coulter goes on to make following case. A Supreme Court Decision Elk V WIlliams (not sure about this last name) ruled that the 14th Amendment did not pertain to American Indians because their allegiance was to their tribes not the government of the USA. It doesn’t say “except Indians” therefore it doesn’t have to say, “including children born to illegal aliens.”

Then in 1924 Congress passed a law making American Indians American citizens. Therefore, according to Coulter, Congress has the right to pass laws that forbid anchor babies and she would probably cite Article 1 section 8 and the 5th section of Amendment 14.

Why do we have anchor babies if the issue is, at best, undecided? William O. Douglas inserted a footnote into a SCOTUS decision stating his opinion that children born to illegals were US citizens. That’s why it is a footnote. It is not a Court ruling. But it’s been used to justify the concept.

So the best way to resolve this is to get the Congress off its collective dead ass and pass a law that defines citizenship requirements as per Article I section 8. Don’t hold your breath.