Polls
Birthright Citizenship Undermines Founding Principles
Liberty Check
Citizenship in America was once founded on the principle of mutual consent, not mere accident of birth. As mass immigration tests our borders and values, the Supreme Court now considers whether the Constitution demands birthright citizenship for children of illegal immigrants.
The heart of the debate lies in Section One of the 14th Amendment, particularly the phrase “subject to the jurisdiction thereof.” Does constitutional citizenship apply simply by location, or is allegiance to the nation required?
- The 1898 Supreme Court case Wong Kim Ark shifted jurisprudence toward citizenship by birth, rejecting the Founders’ vision of consent-based belonging.
- Founders and the authors of the 14th Amendment explicitly rejected the English model of feudal allegiance, affirming instead each person’s natural right to choose their political community.
- In the current era of unchecked immigration, continuing automatic birthright citizenship threatens America’s sovereignty and weakens the intent of the Constitution itself.
Americans must urge the Court to reevaluate ill-advised precedents and defend principles that protect our constitutional republic.
The Constitution must be defended.
