Friday, August 13, 2010
Advocates for changing American immigration law received new information to fuel their argument that children born to illegal immigrants in the U.S. should not receive automatic citizenship. A study released by the Pew Hispanic Center showed that 8% of the 4.3 million babies born in 2008 (or 340,000) had at least one parent who was an illegal immigrant. Overall, illegal immigrants make up slightly more than 4% of all U.S. adults.
Any child born in the U.S. or on American soil is considered a citizen, according to the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. The amendment states, “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.” Republican U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina has said he might propose a constitutional amendment to change this provision for children of illegal immigrants.
Public sentiment, while growing against the presence of illegal immigrants in the country, has not reached the point where Americans are ready to alter the Constitution. The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press reported in a June survey that 56% of respondents opposed changing the 14th Amendment, while only 41% supported it.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Unauthorized Immigrants and Their U.S.-Born Children (Pew Hispanic Center) (pdf)
Births to Illegal Immigrants Are Studied (by Julia Preston, New York Times)
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