Commonplace should stick to economics, where it is well grounded. Chinese people seek US citizenship for their children because they want to flee China, or at least keep their options open. Of course some could eventually become foreign agents, but we have no shortage of examples of born-and-raised Americans spying for foreign governments, and millions more who actively work against American interests by offshoring jobs and technology, hiding assets, shortchanging their workers, and corrupting our politicians. Also, how much influence will a born-and-raised Chinese with no US connections and poor English skills have? How likely are they to get security clearances? For this piece to be an argument against birth right citizenship across the board, it needs some estimates of likely impact (percentages likely to actually engage in espionage or exfiltration), and a cost benefit analysis. One sided fear mongering is not argument.
I think you are very naïve - that woman who participated in the Winter Olympics was raised in the USA but she chose to represent the PRC. Years of indoctrination and ethnic/family ties would be a strong motivation for someone who was born in the USA via birth tourism, but whose mother took him/her back to China to be raised and educated, then sent to the USA as a "Manchurian Candidate" with all the attributes and advantages of being a US citizen while secretly loyal to China.
Eileen Gu is motivated by money, just like Robert Hanssen was. The key question remains whether the unproven (though statistically likely) risk of an occasional bad actor amongst millions of upstanding born and naturalized Americans with foreign origins warrants eliminating this long-standing and very American right. And to answer that, we need to consider whether any given bad actor in America is likely to have foreign ties or to be a born-and-raised American. If you hate either political party, you will be able to point to many Americans with no foreign ties who you might consider to be enemies from within. It's also worth noting that immigrants have a far lower crime rate than non-immigrants. Or perhaps we should just inter every American with foreign-born parents, including both Obama and Trump...
It is not a right, it is bad (misinterpreted) law that should be corrected. Whether or not people are grandfathered is an issue that will have to be debated. I personally do not foresee naturalized citizens losing that citizenship but I hope we do not see amnesty or any other program that rewards illegal behavior as it would send the wrong message to others who might consider entering our country illegally.
I was referencing a non-right, not economics. Allowing immigration for economic reasons is, when justified, always reasonable but granting birthright citizenship is not a right...or at least it should not be.
This is using a sledgehammer to kill a fly. Congress almost certainly has authority to exclude US territories and regulate surrogacy if this is a real threat. And the sledgehammer would inflict incredible human collateral damage. Would it be retroactive? How far? How will it be administered? What happens to hundreds of thousands of stateless people, especially children? If it can be changed by EO, can the next D president change it back? Does “conservative” have any meaning left? Geez.
The stateless person issue would not be an issue...it would be addressed in the legislation.
ICE is currently detaining and deporting ANY illegal alien it encounters. I see no reason why such legislation cannot be made retroactive for at least a decade.
It would be administered just as our immigration laws are currently administered...by the DHS and ICE (et. al.)
Returning to constitutional principles IS conservative.
Three points: 1. How does Congress have any conceivable authority to “give” someone a state who SCOTUS has made stateless (not a rhetorical question)? 2. In what world is our Congress going to pass legislation to address this if SCOTUS reversed 130 years of precedent and practice? 3. How is this in anyway consistent with our nation’s Judeo-Christian heritage esp that little thing Jesus said about loving your neighbor? Is making Liam stateless loving him? I’d think those principles might be worth conserving.
1. Congress makes law, the SCOTUS simply interprets it. Only Congress has the authority including constitutional amendments.
2. SCOTUS reverses itself all the time ala Brown v. Board of Education (1954), West Coast Hotel Co. v. Parrish (1937) and Lawrence v. Texas (2003). SCOTUS has failed us by not interpreting the 14th Amendment as it was intended per the authors and the references in use and it needs to fix this problem.
3. Jesus said to 'sell your cloak and buy a sword'. Neither the Constitution or the Bible are suicide pacts. Ditto compassion. We can be compassionate and loving without being suicidal.
I’m afraid you’re missing my point. A child born in the US who SCOTUS decides was never a citizen is no longer a citizen of any country, ie they are stateless. Congress has no authority whatsoever to make a child who who is stateless a citizen of another country; it can only act with regards to US citizenship. You want to make it retroactive 10 years, which itself would require our dysfunctional Congress to act. Explain to me how this is treating people born here compassionately and how that is suicidal. Jesus preached to love your neighbor repeatedly at every opportunity. How many times did he say buy a sword?
I don't see that ending birthright citizenship need necessarily be retroactive. It can simply mean that henceforth, children born on U.S. soil to non-citizen parents would be citizens of the country from which the parents came. The children are therefore NOT 'stateless'. The parents are also not stateless. They are non-citizens and as such are free to return to their home countries. If they choose to stay and are here illegally, the parents and minor children born here would be subject to deportation by Immigration enforcement.
As for the reference to Jesus and loving your neighbor, that mandate applies to the migrants who skirt our immigration laws as well. Does it sound to you like those abusing the (mis-interpreted) 14th Amendment with less than honorable intentions are 'loving their neighbors?
U.S. law has no authority to determine if a child born here but denied U.S. citizenship is a citizen of any other country. Some will be but many won’t. New Zealand is struggling with this very issue. As we are seeing with DHS efforts to deport people, not all countries will accept returnees and for many it is dangerous. Those children born here shouldn’t face such severe consequences for the “sins of their fathers” and [mothers]. For almost 150 years the idea that the 14th Amendment meant birthright citizenship was universally accepted. It is only in the past decade or so that it became more than a reactionary fringe theory with no support in case law, statute, or regulation. There wasn’t even a thing called illegal immigration when it was passed so how could Congress and the voters have understood it not to apply? Jesús never said love only the neighbors who love you or who are citizens of your country or who follow every law (remember being here without legal permission is a civil violation not a crime]. Jesus said love ALL our neighbors. And yet supposedly we our nation treasures (and conserves?) Judeo-Christian values. Explaining retroactive application of Constitutional law changes will take another comment, but guaranteed it will be a legal mess, inflicting a lot of pain on many many innocent people and the citizens who love them. We know this because of the mess that happened after a naturalized U.S. Army veteran born in India lost his citizenship because he was determined to be Caucasian but not White.
Dreamers didn’t have a choice either. What is the difference? Congress ignores problems of innocent people hurt by their actions or inactions. all the time. Without consequence.
Our polity should probably be more worried about a native born ex-reality TV host who entrances a segment of our population that is less well read & has a poor grasp of history. This demagogue might make fanciful promises to our growing underclass all while enriching his bairns, blowing a hole in our already burgeoning budget with bad foreign policy decisions, alienating our longtime allies, and trying to govern like a KING. Sometimes it’s your brother not the OTHER that you should be wary of.
But you’d say im in denial. Id say immigration created this nation and is our comparative advantage in the true sense of Ricardo.
Your personal opinion of our POTUS who is doing an outstanding job even though he is not a polished politician is of no relevance. The budget is a function of Congress. Yes, it's out of control but that issue should be laid at the feet of Congress as well. Like it or not, we are the greatest country on the face of the planet BECAUSE of our debt load.
Immigration (and natives) did create this nation but the creation phase is over and we are now in maintenance and controlled growth...and self-preservation. We have a right to control our borders and to be selective in who enters and stays. There is a difference between selective and stupid.
We agree on several things. The border should be in order & this admin secured it quickly so they should be credited. Actually Biden admin started to secure it right before election lol; they were real dumbasses on border! Especially bc Obama left the playbook for border security and they dropped the ball. That said Obama admin was able to control it without masked militias in streets killing citizens. To try to deport every undocumented person is really harmful to society and our economy. By all means go after violent criminals- that’s not what they are doing. Maybe Mullin will be better- he has supported a pathway to citizenship for ppl who have been here working many years. We slso agree on budget being an issue. But all of these issues need resolved through sensible legislation and compromise. And yes we have a GREAT country!!! But this in my opinion is a stress test bc we elected a morally bankrupt, inadequately educated demagogue who is corrupt. A NY playboy who spent most of his life preying on others- contractors, Epstein crowd etc. I could tell this when I was 15in 80s. Trying to put his name on everything and filing chapter 11 as a strategy. Not salt of the earth- never had a callus on his hand bc everything was given to him. Sad.
We should end birthright citizenship because China is going to infiltrate the US with...babies???
Perhaps China is not as obsessed with the US as you appear to be with China. We have no reason to fear China. If we go to war with China, it will be because we start it. We will only have ourselves to blame. Look around you. The terrorist state is the US, not China
No, we should re-define birthright citizenship to the original meaning per the authors of the 14th Amendment. It was not written to provide automatic citizenship to the babies of illegal alien intruders.
Mass immigration of single, military age Chinese men is an obvious security issue and to ignore that is suicidal. Islam is another threat that needs careful review.
This is a rather paranoid essay. Give the difficultly most parents have in raising their children exactly as they would want them, the idea of all of these infants born to Chinese nationals distant enough from the CCP to get a visa turning 21 years later into perfect, little CCP robots seems like an ineffective way of creating spies.
And certainly with modern electronic information, the importance of physical presence is so 20th century.
wow Commonplace you sure bring out the haters, bots and crazies! lol I just love reading the goofy comments you get on this site. A bunch of whack jobs!
Given your concern about Chinese infiltration, espionage, and influence on the US government, I'd be interested in your take on whether Israel poses similar and perhaps much greater risks for the US? Sometimes it seems like they are leading the US gov by the nose. Israel may pose a bigger chink in our amour than China.
A counterfactual article of how United States spies embed themselves in other countries to achieve similar ends would be interesting. This article appears to be more of a boogeyman than a worry. Well, other than total Chinese control of Arcadia, California.
Every nation has their embedded spies as well as internal organizations to root them out like our FBI and CIA. That's the nature of the game. What every nation does NOT have are mechanisms in place to wholesale invite and welcome such spies into their countries without as we do. That you fail to understand or acknowledge the obvious danger of our situation is not terribly relevant.
Complete fear mongering. What are these spy-citizens going to do? Why should we fear them?
We can't live in fear. China isn't invading the country. Neither are Muslims. Relax. Don't make decisions based on fear. Look inward to see why you have this fear. That is a much more helpful thing to do. In fact, if everyone in the world did this, the entire world would change. As Jesus said, "The lion would lie down with the lamb."
I suggest that you review the history of World War II and the influence of spies and infiltrators. When the lion lays down with the lamb, we will not have to purchase swords or search for spies.
Who won World War Two? The Russians. That's right, the Russians. If they hadn't tied up the Nazi army and inflicted so much damage, Germany would have won. 20 million Russian dead, not spies, is what led to that victory.
Raises interesting questions. Would like to see follow up piece with 5 to. 10 examples of Chinese spying via birthright that created strategic risk. Penetrating local government? Maybe the commies can run social services better?
There is no issue with 'the commies' running social services. They do that every day in the USofA. OTOH, those 'commies' are controlled by our Constitution and the government that implements it. It is kept in check to preclude the excesses of 'commie' domination and tyranny prevalent elsewhere...so far.
We are not concerned with those Chinese 'commies' who would help with our social services. We are concerned with those single, military aged, primarily male Chinese 'commies' who are tied at the hip to the CCP and who are here to do as much damage as they can to support the overthrow/downfall of our nation. We think they're here by the tens of thousands but even if it's only in the hundreds they'll do a great deal of damage, possibly even mortal damage if we can't find and stop them.
So far there are no cases that meet your criteria but given the numbers of Chinese women visiting the US to gain US citizenship for their babies and given the education and propaganda under which those babies will be raised, is there really any question that many of them will be CCP operatives when they get of age? A negative response to that question would bring your intelligence into question. A more interesting question to me would be how many of those Chinese/US citizens now of military age are living in the US and how are we tracking them?
Given your concern about Chinese infiltration, espionage, and influence on the US government, I'd be interested in your take on whether Israel poses similar and perhaps much greater risks for the US? Sometimes it seems like they are leading the US gov by the nose. Israel may pose a bigger chink in our amour than China.
Of course they do. Israel has been exposed on occasion just as the US has. Remember the Bay of Pigs and the attack on the USS Liberty? The Five Eyes spy on each other all the time. Do I think that Israel, et. al. pose a more significant threat? No. I think our mutual interests and goals align much more closely than do those of other 'allies' such as France or, at the moment, Britain. Did spies from those countries and others cross our southern border during the Biden 'administration'? Absolutely. Should we be concerned about it? Absolutely. That's the game.
I do not see Israel attacking the US except as a way to influence our decisions...false flags are not beneath them. China, on the other hand, is preparing for kinetic war whether or not they perceive it as offensive or defensive. China also carries a big stick and a willingness to propagate power around the World. Ditto Islam though they carry a smaller stick. We should fear both and prepare to defend against both.
Any intelligent person should care. It's a survival issue.
Is that a rhetorical question? It is the reason for the FBI and the CIA.
We should not go to war with anybody but life happens. We tried isolationism and it doesn't work. We play 'the game' because that is what is required to know what our sworn enemies are doing.
What would your ideal government look like? What would the military of your ideal country look like? What do you think your life would look like under that system?
Also, don't fear your enemies. Love your enemies as Jesus said.
Cooperate with your enemies. Also, why is China an enemy? What have they done to us? After all, their rise as a power is directly tied to us letting them into the world trade organization and shifting all of our manufacturing jobs to them, which hollowed out our manufacturing base here. Not real smart.
My life under my ideal government would be peaceful and cooperative. Wealth inequality is much lower than it is today. People would live with dignity and be able to afford living
Above all my government would be wise and smart. Being smart without wisdom is useless. In fact, the world we have now is exactly what happens when you have smarts but zero wisdom
Got it. You're a Bible thumper who lives in an imaginary World. Someday you might get that dream but that is not today's reality.
China is not an enemy. China is a member of the World community and a trading partner. We exchange culture where they allow it. I hope that we can maintain this posture forever but that is unlikely. Taiwan is a critical trading partner that holds military and industrial secrets. Japan is an ally as is South Korea. I don't know if we would take up arms to defend them from Chinese aggression and China is already showing that aggression over the South China Sea, etc. but I also don't know how many more allies we can abandon and maintain relations with any of them. I hope we can find a way to defend our trading partners and allies without things going nuclear. I know you don't like it but we do carry the big stick.
I'm questioning the very foundation of reality we live in. I'm proposing a new way of being.
We do carry a big stick, but we aren't walking softly. We do the exact opposite and that creates enemies. What if we walked softly and gave our "enemies" a different choice? A choice where both societies would win and disagreements would not turn hostile. In essence we could still disagree but not be disagreeable
In a previous response to my request to list examples of strategic breeches by Chinese, I think it was you who provides several examples. Somehow that part of the response has disappeared - or at least I can't find it (given limited intelligence perhaps). ... Q: did any of those leaks of trade or national secrets involve Chinese people with birthright citizenship sired by rich Chinese nationals through surrogate pregnancies. BTW - if I was a Chinese billionaire, I might be interested in setting up a family foothold in North America in case the communist party stops tolerating billionaires.
Generally speaking ethnic Chinese make great Americans.
Not only are Chinese and east Asians hard working high earners they are law abiding and volunteer for the armed services. Of course we must be aware of and protect innocent students studying here from untoward pressures from the MSS (ministry of state security)
If I had a magic wand I'd make all immigrants East Asian, that is how great an addition they are to our economy and our country. Asians assimilate and become patriotic Americans.
The civil violation for overstaying or violating the terms of a visa is found in 8 U.S.C. § 1227 which is found in Title 8 - Aliens and Nationality of the United States Code, not Title 18 - Crimes and Criminal Procedure which is commonly known as the Criminal Code. If 8 U.S.C. § 1227 were a criminal statute, it would include a sentence of incarceration and/or a fine, like 8 USC 1325 or 1326 (which are criminal statutes even though not in the Criminal Code). Without incarceration or a fine, overstaying or violating conditions of a visa is not a crime, but rather a civil violation. Like a parking ticket. Or littering. Or jaywalking. Or most polluting. It's entirely understandable that without much actual experience with people who are here without valid visas, someone would not realize that undocumented people pay around $100 billion in taxes each year, $4000-8000 per undocumented person, estimating 10-20 million undocumented people in the U.S. Most of those are federal taxes for Social Security and Medicare, paid for by people using false Social Security numbers or filing their taxes, as required and completely legally, by using ITIN's. About $40 billion in Social Security taxes is paid by undocumented people each year -- helping to prop up our underfunded Social Security Trust Fund -- with no expectation that they will ever receive benefits. Using an ITIN does no damage since they belong to the undocumented person and are not stolen. Not that it will convince anyone in the polarized political environment in which we live, but the best research shows that undocumented immigrants contribute more to higher wages from economic growth than they take by depressing wages. This is especially true in particular industries like agriculture, meatpacking, and construction, though the research is mixed on how large or small the effect on low wage workers is. My experience has been that once you actually know undocumented people, it becomes much more difficult to see the issue as black/white, good/evil, right/wrong. Hence why choosing to love our neighbors is a better path than detaining them in inhumane conditions.
The two judges dissenting in Wong Kim Ark did so PRECISELY because the Sup.Ct. decision affirmed the well-established rule that the Constitution is to be interpreted based on English on common-law, NOT deVattel or any other commentator on international law, including on questions of citizenship. Given that, how do you think they got it right in Ark?
It is sad that our law enforcement must wear masks to keep themselves and their families safe as do law enforcement in Mexico against the cartels. Stop doxing them and maybe they can forego the masks. But I don't really care. They wear ICE uniforms. They identify as ICE agents. They video every encounter...they don't work in the dark. So long as those two deaths and the deaths that will inevitably follow get investigated, I'm good with their efforts.
ICE doesn't go around killing people. People die when they do dumb things like carry a weapon to a 'protest' and then get in physical confrontations with law enforcement or use your their ton vehicle as a weapon against law enforcement even if that was not their intent. Do as you are told when you are told to do it and you won't get hurt.
ICE is going after violent criminals. There is a very long list of violent criminals that they have apprehended. In the process they also detain non-violent illegal aliens that they encounter. If ICE detained EVERY violent felon on their list, they would continue to find and detain illegal aliens. That's their job.
I do not support a pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens who have been here 'a long time'. Why should they get special treatment after violating our laws? Sorry, it doesn't work that way. I know that sounds cruel but it is the only message that we should be sending to others who think they can do the same in the future.
Your opinion of Trump is irrelevant. Trump is, by and large, doing the job we elected him to do. Actually he's doing a BETTER job than we expected. Is he perfect? No but his results are outstanding for the country and, I think, for the world at large. I could not be more pleased. The efforts that Democrats have made to derail Trump's presidency are manic. They are not good for the country. That the DHS has not yet received funding is destructive, dangerous and senselessly stupid and Trump's poll numbers are through the roof as a result.
The author mentions Saipan birth citizenship rates are up. On a recent visit to Rota, one of the remote islands in the CNMI, health officials stated there were a large number of visitors from India and China giving birth there. As one commenter mentioned perhaps our territories should be protected against this through specific legislation and after consultation with local representatives.
“You may be paranoid, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you.” What a nightmare scenario.
Commonplace should stick to economics, where it is well grounded. Chinese people seek US citizenship for their children because they want to flee China, or at least keep their options open. Of course some could eventually become foreign agents, but we have no shortage of examples of born-and-raised Americans spying for foreign governments, and millions more who actively work against American interests by offshoring jobs and technology, hiding assets, shortchanging their workers, and corrupting our politicians. Also, how much influence will a born-and-raised Chinese with no US connections and poor English skills have? How likely are they to get security clearances? For this piece to be an argument against birth right citizenship across the board, it needs some estimates of likely impact (percentages likely to actually engage in espionage or exfiltration), and a cost benefit analysis. One sided fear mongering is not argument.
I think you are very naïve - that woman who participated in the Winter Olympics was raised in the USA but she chose to represent the PRC. Years of indoctrination and ethnic/family ties would be a strong motivation for someone who was born in the USA via birth tourism, but whose mother took him/her back to China to be raised and educated, then sent to the USA as a "Manchurian Candidate" with all the attributes and advantages of being a US citizen while secretly loyal to China.
Eileen Gu is motivated by money, just like Robert Hanssen was. The key question remains whether the unproven (though statistically likely) risk of an occasional bad actor amongst millions of upstanding born and naturalized Americans with foreign origins warrants eliminating this long-standing and very American right. And to answer that, we need to consider whether any given bad actor in America is likely to have foreign ties or to be a born-and-raised American. If you hate either political party, you will be able to point to many Americans with no foreign ties who you might consider to be enemies from within. It's also worth noting that immigrants have a far lower crime rate than non-immigrants. Or perhaps we should just inter every American with foreign-born parents, including both Obama and Trump...
It is not a right, it is bad (misinterpreted) law that should be corrected. Whether or not people are grandfathered is an issue that will have to be debated. I personally do not foresee naturalized citizens losing that citizenship but I hope we do not see amnesty or any other program that rewards illegal behavior as it would send the wrong message to others who might consider entering our country illegally.
Yes, immigration is always an economic issue....
I was referencing a non-right, not economics. Allowing immigration for economic reasons is, when justified, always reasonable but granting birthright citizenship is not a right...or at least it should not be.
Yes, sorry - responding to a comment earlier in this thread.....
This is using a sledgehammer to kill a fly. Congress almost certainly has authority to exclude US territories and regulate surrogacy if this is a real threat. And the sledgehammer would inflict incredible human collateral damage. Would it be retroactive? How far? How will it be administered? What happens to hundreds of thousands of stateless people, especially children? If it can be changed by EO, can the next D president change it back? Does “conservative” have any meaning left? Geez.
The stateless person issue would not be an issue...it would be addressed in the legislation.
ICE is currently detaining and deporting ANY illegal alien it encounters. I see no reason why such legislation cannot be made retroactive for at least a decade.
It would be administered just as our immigration laws are currently administered...by the DHS and ICE (et. al.)
Returning to constitutional principles IS conservative.
Three points: 1. How does Congress have any conceivable authority to “give” someone a state who SCOTUS has made stateless (not a rhetorical question)? 2. In what world is our Congress going to pass legislation to address this if SCOTUS reversed 130 years of precedent and practice? 3. How is this in anyway consistent with our nation’s Judeo-Christian heritage esp that little thing Jesus said about loving your neighbor? Is making Liam stateless loving him? I’d think those principles might be worth conserving.
1. Congress makes law, the SCOTUS simply interprets it. Only Congress has the authority including constitutional amendments.
2. SCOTUS reverses itself all the time ala Brown v. Board of Education (1954), West Coast Hotel Co. v. Parrish (1937) and Lawrence v. Texas (2003). SCOTUS has failed us by not interpreting the 14th Amendment as it was intended per the authors and the references in use and it needs to fix this problem.
3. Jesus said to 'sell your cloak and buy a sword'. Neither the Constitution or the Bible are suicide pacts. Ditto compassion. We can be compassionate and loving without being suicidal.
I’m afraid you’re missing my point. A child born in the US who SCOTUS decides was never a citizen is no longer a citizen of any country, ie they are stateless. Congress has no authority whatsoever to make a child who who is stateless a citizen of another country; it can only act with regards to US citizenship. You want to make it retroactive 10 years, which itself would require our dysfunctional Congress to act. Explain to me how this is treating people born here compassionately and how that is suicidal. Jesus preached to love your neighbor repeatedly at every opportunity. How many times did he say buy a sword?
I don't see that ending birthright citizenship need necessarily be retroactive. It can simply mean that henceforth, children born on U.S. soil to non-citizen parents would be citizens of the country from which the parents came. The children are therefore NOT 'stateless'. The parents are also not stateless. They are non-citizens and as such are free to return to their home countries. If they choose to stay and are here illegally, the parents and minor children born here would be subject to deportation by Immigration enforcement.
As for the reference to Jesus and loving your neighbor, that mandate applies to the migrants who skirt our immigration laws as well. Does it sound to you like those abusing the (mis-interpreted) 14th Amendment with less than honorable intentions are 'loving their neighbors?
U.S. law has no authority to determine if a child born here but denied U.S. citizenship is a citizen of any other country. Some will be but many won’t. New Zealand is struggling with this very issue. As we are seeing with DHS efforts to deport people, not all countries will accept returnees and for many it is dangerous. Those children born here shouldn’t face such severe consequences for the “sins of their fathers” and [mothers]. For almost 150 years the idea that the 14th Amendment meant birthright citizenship was universally accepted. It is only in the past decade or so that it became more than a reactionary fringe theory with no support in case law, statute, or regulation. There wasn’t even a thing called illegal immigration when it was passed so how could Congress and the voters have understood it not to apply? Jesús never said love only the neighbors who love you or who are citizens of your country or who follow every law (remember being here without legal permission is a civil violation not a crime]. Jesus said love ALL our neighbors. And yet supposedly we our nation treasures (and conserves?) Judeo-Christian values. Explaining retroactive application of Constitutional law changes will take another comment, but guaranteed it will be a legal mess, inflicting a lot of pain on many many innocent people and the citizens who love them. We know this because of the mess that happened after a naturalized U.S. Army veteran born in India lost his citizenship because he was determined to be Caucasian but not White.
Dreamers didn’t have a choice either. What is the difference? Congress ignores problems of innocent people hurt by their actions or inactions. all the time. Without consequence.
Our polity should probably be more worried about a native born ex-reality TV host who entrances a segment of our population that is less well read & has a poor grasp of history. This demagogue might make fanciful promises to our growing underclass all while enriching his bairns, blowing a hole in our already burgeoning budget with bad foreign policy decisions, alienating our longtime allies, and trying to govern like a KING. Sometimes it’s your brother not the OTHER that you should be wary of.
But you’d say im in denial. Id say immigration created this nation and is our comparative advantage in the true sense of Ricardo.
Your personal opinion of our POTUS who is doing an outstanding job even though he is not a polished politician is of no relevance. The budget is a function of Congress. Yes, it's out of control but that issue should be laid at the feet of Congress as well. Like it or not, we are the greatest country on the face of the planet BECAUSE of our debt load.
Immigration (and natives) did create this nation but the creation phase is over and we are now in maintenance and controlled growth...and self-preservation. We have a right to control our borders and to be selective in who enters and stays. There is a difference between selective and stupid.
We agree on several things. The border should be in order & this admin secured it quickly so they should be credited. Actually Biden admin started to secure it right before election lol; they were real dumbasses on border! Especially bc Obama left the playbook for border security and they dropped the ball. That said Obama admin was able to control it without masked militias in streets killing citizens. To try to deport every undocumented person is really harmful to society and our economy. By all means go after violent criminals- that’s not what they are doing. Maybe Mullin will be better- he has supported a pathway to citizenship for ppl who have been here working many years. We slso agree on budget being an issue. But all of these issues need resolved through sensible legislation and compromise. And yes we have a GREAT country!!! But this in my opinion is a stress test bc we elected a morally bankrupt, inadequately educated demagogue who is corrupt. A NY playboy who spent most of his life preying on others- contractors, Epstein crowd etc. I could tell this when I was 15in 80s. Trying to put his name on everything and filing chapter 11 as a strategy. Not salt of the earth- never had a callus on his hand bc everything was given to him. Sad.
Great fear porn article lol
We should end birthright citizenship because China is going to infiltrate the US with...babies???
Perhaps China is not as obsessed with the US as you appear to be with China. We have no reason to fear China. If we go to war with China, it will be because we start it. We will only have ourselves to blame. Look around you. The terrorist state is the US, not China
No, we should re-define birthright citizenship to the original meaning per the authors of the 14th Amendment. It was not written to provide automatic citizenship to the babies of illegal alien intruders.
Mass immigration of single, military age Chinese men is an obvious security issue and to ignore that is suicidal. Islam is another threat that needs careful review.
This is a rather paranoid essay. Give the difficultly most parents have in raising their children exactly as they would want them, the idea of all of these infants born to Chinese nationals distant enough from the CCP to get a visa turning 21 years later into perfect, little CCP robots seems like an ineffective way of creating spies.
And certainly with modern electronic information, the importance of physical presence is so 20th century.
wow Commonplace you sure bring out the haters, bots and crazies! lol I just love reading the goofy comments you get on this site. A bunch of whack jobs!
Given your concern about Chinese infiltration, espionage, and influence on the US government, I'd be interested in your take on whether Israel poses similar and perhaps much greater risks for the US? Sometimes it seems like they are leading the US gov by the nose. Israel may pose a bigger chink in our amour than China.
A counterfactual article of how United States spies embed themselves in other countries to achieve similar ends would be interesting. This article appears to be more of a boogeyman than a worry. Well, other than total Chinese control of Arcadia, California.
Every nation has their embedded spies as well as internal organizations to root them out like our FBI and CIA. That's the nature of the game. What every nation does NOT have are mechanisms in place to wholesale invite and welcome such spies into their countries without as we do. That you fail to understand or acknowledge the obvious danger of our situation is not terribly relevant.
Complete fear mongering. What are these spy-citizens going to do? Why should we fear them?
We can't live in fear. China isn't invading the country. Neither are Muslims. Relax. Don't make decisions based on fear. Look inward to see why you have this fear. That is a much more helpful thing to do. In fact, if everyone in the world did this, the entire world would change. As Jesus said, "The lion would lie down with the lamb."
I suggest that you review the history of World War II and the influence of spies and infiltrators. When the lion lays down with the lamb, we will not have to purchase swords or search for spies.
Who won World War Two? The Russians. That's right, the Russians. If they hadn't tied up the Nazi army and inflicted so much damage, Germany would have won. 20 million Russian dead, not spies, is what led to that victory.
Raises interesting questions. Would like to see follow up piece with 5 to. 10 examples of Chinese spying via birthright that created strategic risk. Penetrating local government? Maybe the commies can run social services better?
There is no issue with 'the commies' running social services. They do that every day in the USofA. OTOH, those 'commies' are controlled by our Constitution and the government that implements it. It is kept in check to preclude the excesses of 'commie' domination and tyranny prevalent elsewhere...so far.
We are not concerned with those Chinese 'commies' who would help with our social services. We are concerned with those single, military aged, primarily male Chinese 'commies' who are tied at the hip to the CCP and who are here to do as much damage as they can to support the overthrow/downfall of our nation. We think they're here by the tens of thousands but even if it's only in the hundreds they'll do a great deal of damage, possibly even mortal damage if we can't find and stop them.
So far there are no cases that meet your criteria but given the numbers of Chinese women visiting the US to gain US citizenship for their babies and given the education and propaganda under which those babies will be raised, is there really any question that many of them will be CCP operatives when they get of age? A negative response to that question would bring your intelligence into question. A more interesting question to me would be how many of those Chinese/US citizens now of military age are living in the US and how are we tracking them?
Given your concern about Chinese infiltration, espionage, and influence on the US government, I'd be interested in your take on whether Israel poses similar and perhaps much greater risks for the US? Sometimes it seems like they are leading the US gov by the nose. Israel may pose a bigger chink in our amour than China.
Of course they do. Israel has been exposed on occasion just as the US has. Remember the Bay of Pigs and the attack on the USS Liberty? The Five Eyes spy on each other all the time. Do I think that Israel, et. al. pose a more significant threat? No. I think our mutual interests and goals align much more closely than do those of other 'allies' such as France or, at the moment, Britain. Did spies from those countries and others cross our southern border during the Biden 'administration'? Absolutely. Should we be concerned about it? Absolutely. That's the game.
I do not see Israel attacking the US except as a way to influence our decisions...false flags are not beneath them. China, on the other hand, is preparing for kinetic war whether or not they perceive it as offensive or defensive. China also carries a big stick and a willingness to propagate power around the World. Ditto Islam though they carry a smaller stick. We should fear both and prepare to defend against both.
Who cares?
What difference does it make?
We shouldn't be going to war with China anyway. We do the same thing to them. It's all in the game.
Relax
Any intelligent person should care. It's a survival issue.
Is that a rhetorical question? It is the reason for the FBI and the CIA.
We should not go to war with anybody but life happens. We tried isolationism and it doesn't work. We play 'the game' because that is what is required to know what our sworn enemies are doing.
What would your ideal government look like? What would the military of your ideal country look like? What do you think your life would look like under that system?
Walk softly and carry a big stick
Also, don't fear your enemies. Love your enemies as Jesus said.
Cooperate with your enemies. Also, why is China an enemy? What have they done to us? After all, their rise as a power is directly tied to us letting them into the world trade organization and shifting all of our manufacturing jobs to them, which hollowed out our manufacturing base here. Not real smart.
My life under my ideal government would be peaceful and cooperative. Wealth inequality is much lower than it is today. People would live with dignity and be able to afford living
Above all my government would be wise and smart. Being smart without wisdom is useless. In fact, the world we have now is exactly what happens when you have smarts but zero wisdom
Got it. You're a Bible thumper who lives in an imaginary World. Someday you might get that dream but that is not today's reality.
China is not an enemy. China is a member of the World community and a trading partner. We exchange culture where they allow it. I hope that we can maintain this posture forever but that is unlikely. Taiwan is a critical trading partner that holds military and industrial secrets. Japan is an ally as is South Korea. I don't know if we would take up arms to defend them from Chinese aggression and China is already showing that aggression over the South China Sea, etc. but I also don't know how many more allies we can abandon and maintain relations with any of them. I hope we can find a way to defend our trading partners and allies without things going nuclear. I know you don't like it but we do carry the big stick.
I'm not a bible thumper at all
I'm questioning the very foundation of reality we live in. I'm proposing a new way of being.
We do carry a big stick, but we aren't walking softly. We do the exact opposite and that creates enemies. What if we walked softly and gave our "enemies" a different choice? A choice where both societies would win and disagreements would not turn hostile. In essence we could still disagree but not be disagreeable
In a previous response to my request to list examples of strategic breeches by Chinese, I think it was you who provides several examples. Somehow that part of the response has disappeared - or at least I can't find it (given limited intelligence perhaps). ... Q: did any of those leaks of trade or national secrets involve Chinese people with birthright citizenship sired by rich Chinese nationals through surrogate pregnancies. BTW - if I was a Chinese billionaire, I might be interested in setting up a family foothold in North America in case the communist party stops tolerating billionaires.
Generally speaking ethnic Chinese make great Americans.
Not only are Chinese and east Asians hard working high earners they are law abiding and volunteer for the armed services. Of course we must be aware of and protect innocent students studying here from untoward pressures from the MSS (ministry of state security)
If I had a magic wand I'd make all immigrants East Asian, that is how great an addition they are to our economy and our country. Asians assimilate and become patriotic Americans.
The civil violation for overstaying or violating the terms of a visa is found in 8 U.S.C. § 1227 which is found in Title 8 - Aliens and Nationality of the United States Code, not Title 18 - Crimes and Criminal Procedure which is commonly known as the Criminal Code. If 8 U.S.C. § 1227 were a criminal statute, it would include a sentence of incarceration and/or a fine, like 8 USC 1325 or 1326 (which are criminal statutes even though not in the Criminal Code). Without incarceration or a fine, overstaying or violating conditions of a visa is not a crime, but rather a civil violation. Like a parking ticket. Or littering. Or jaywalking. Or most polluting. It's entirely understandable that without much actual experience with people who are here without valid visas, someone would not realize that undocumented people pay around $100 billion in taxes each year, $4000-8000 per undocumented person, estimating 10-20 million undocumented people in the U.S. Most of those are federal taxes for Social Security and Medicare, paid for by people using false Social Security numbers or filing their taxes, as required and completely legally, by using ITIN's. About $40 billion in Social Security taxes is paid by undocumented people each year -- helping to prop up our underfunded Social Security Trust Fund -- with no expectation that they will ever receive benefits. Using an ITIN does no damage since they belong to the undocumented person and are not stolen. Not that it will convince anyone in the polarized political environment in which we live, but the best research shows that undocumented immigrants contribute more to higher wages from economic growth than they take by depressing wages. This is especially true in particular industries like agriculture, meatpacking, and construction, though the research is mixed on how large or small the effect on low wage workers is. My experience has been that once you actually know undocumented people, it becomes much more difficult to see the issue as black/white, good/evil, right/wrong. Hence why choosing to love our neighbors is a better path than detaining them in inhumane conditions.
The two judges dissenting in Wong Kim Ark did so PRECISELY because the Sup.Ct. decision affirmed the well-established rule that the Constitution is to be interpreted based on English on common-law, NOT deVattel or any other commentator on international law, including on questions of citizenship. Given that, how do you think they got it right in Ark?
They came before the end of the Korean war!
It is sad that our law enforcement must wear masks to keep themselves and their families safe as do law enforcement in Mexico against the cartels. Stop doxing them and maybe they can forego the masks. But I don't really care. They wear ICE uniforms. They identify as ICE agents. They video every encounter...they don't work in the dark. So long as those two deaths and the deaths that will inevitably follow get investigated, I'm good with their efforts.
ICE doesn't go around killing people. People die when they do dumb things like carry a weapon to a 'protest' and then get in physical confrontations with law enforcement or use your their ton vehicle as a weapon against law enforcement even if that was not their intent. Do as you are told when you are told to do it and you won't get hurt.
ICE is going after violent criminals. There is a very long list of violent criminals that they have apprehended. In the process they also detain non-violent illegal aliens that they encounter. If ICE detained EVERY violent felon on their list, they would continue to find and detain illegal aliens. That's their job.
I do not support a pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens who have been here 'a long time'. Why should they get special treatment after violating our laws? Sorry, it doesn't work that way. I know that sounds cruel but it is the only message that we should be sending to others who think they can do the same in the future.
Your opinion of Trump is irrelevant. Trump is, by and large, doing the job we elected him to do. Actually he's doing a BETTER job than we expected. Is he perfect? No but his results are outstanding for the country and, I think, for the world at large. I could not be more pleased. The efforts that Democrats have made to derail Trump's presidency are manic. They are not good for the country. That the DHS has not yet received funding is destructive, dangerous and senselessly stupid and Trump's poll numbers are through the roof as a result.
The author mentions Saipan birth citizenship rates are up. On a recent visit to Rota, one of the remote islands in the CNMI, health officials stated there were a large number of visitors from India and China giving birth there. As one commenter mentioned perhaps our territories should be protected against this through specific legislation and after consultation with local representatives.