Birthright Citizenship!

If you’re born on U.S. soil, congratulations—you’re a U.S. citizen.

The 14th Amendment was a direct response to reject the Supreme Court’s infamous Dred Scott decision.  The Court ruled that a man born into slavery couldn’t be a citizen because his mother was a slave. The Court also ruled that enslaved people and their descendants could never be U.S. citizens.

The 14th Amendment erased this injustice: if you’re born here, you’re a citizen, regardless of your family’s background or your parent’s status.

But let’s be clear: a child’s citizenship doesn’t “magically” extend to their parents. If parents are here illegally, they’re not entitled to citizenship.

We have laws for a reason, and breaking them has consequences, including deportation. If deportation separates families, that’s on the parent who chose to break the law, not on the United States for enforcing it.  Respect for the rule of law is what keeps our society functional, fair, and free.

I’m Andy Parrish for WIZM.