If Birthright Shouldn't Determine Citizenship, What Should?
If Birthright Shouldn't Determine Citizenship, What Should?
--If Donald Trump is successful in eliminating birthright citizenship, what would the standard be for establishing citizenship in the United States?
Haven't watched the video yet, but since you're asking: It's not really a radical idea to say you are only a citizen if you're either a naturalized immigrant or have a parent who is a citizen, the vast majority of deocracies arpund the world have that kind of system. I know here in Germany many people are kind of amused by the fact that there's literally thousands of rich Europeans who go on vacation in the US while they're in the last few days of their pregnancy, just so their child can later go to the US without a problem if it likes. That's kind of weird, when you think about it
The US also didn't have birthright citizenship before about 1865 when the Amendment abolishing slavery was passed, the intent of birthright citzenship was to give former slaves automatic citizenship. To be honest, I'm kind of surprised they didn't just put a sunset provision in, to say "All people born in the US up to like 5 years in the future are automatically citizens"
Ending birthright citizenship wouldn't necessarily mean we can't naturaloze illegal aliens after a number of years. But to be honest, I'm kind of split on birtright citizenship, because with it, the kids of illegal aliens won't need to worry about being deported. And without it, you could have like 5 generations within one family being in constant fear of being deported.
I'd say give automatic citizenship to anyone after living in the country for 10 years without having committed considerable crimes, parking tickets and such wouldn't count, and illegally crossing the border of course wouldn't count either.
Countries are imaginary, as is citizenship. We don't belong anywhere but Earth.