Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy was questioned on his plan to deal with anchor babies that once again raised questions over the Fourteenth Amendment.
(Video: NBC News)
The matter of birthright citizenship has had a heavy influence in the current crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border as globalists have routinely decried the potential of separating families by deporting illegal aliens from children born stateside. After an Iowa town hall Friday, GOP presidential hopeful Ramaswamy suggested separating the family was hardly a concern as his hypothetical administration would merely deport the entire “family unit.”
Speaking with NBC News from Orange City, the candidate was asked if his plan to deport illegal aliens would include American-born children to which he explained, “The family unit will be deported as a family unit. We will never separate families.”
Seemingly tempering his hot take, Ramaswamy added, “But we will de-bureaucratize the process for which law-abiding citizens and their families have a path to legal immigration into the country if they meet the criteria.”
Hardly the first Republican candidate to voice their opinion on the issue, the chief concern related to anchor babies remained the Fourteenth Amendment which begins, “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.”
“There are legally contested questions under the 14th Amendment of whether the child of an illegal immigrant is indeed a child who enjoys birthright citizenship,” acknowledged Ramaswamy. “They are contested.”
He went on to contend, “Under the legal theory that the child of an illegal immigrant is not someone who enjoys birthright citizenship, then it would be perfectly legally permissible to remove the entire family unit.”
Earlier this year, former President Donald Trump had vowed that he would sign an executive order to end the practice of birthright citizenship moving forward. As part of his third run at the White House, the onetime commander-in-chief had not gone quite as far as Ramaswamy when he said, “the future of children of illegal aliens will not receive automatic U.S. citizenship. It’s things like this that bring millions of people to our country.”
Trump sparks Twitter battle with his vow to end ‘automatic U.S. citizenship’ for illegal immigrantshttps://t.co/WR25LmfcVN
— American Wire News (@americanwire_) May 31, 2023
Similarly, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had detailed his plan to contend with the border crisis in June and pledged to “take action to end the idea that the children of illegal aliens are entitled to birthright citizenship if they are born in the United States.”
“Dangling the prize of citizenship to the future offspring of illegal immigrants is a major driver of illegal migration. It is also inconsistent with the original understanding of the Fourteenth Amendment, and we will force the courts and Congress to finally address this failed policy,” he said at the time.
During the press conference, the governor expressed, “This idea that you can come across the border, two days later have a child, and somehow that’s an American citizen — that was not the original understanding of the Fourteenth Amendment and so we’ll take action to force a clarification of that.”
The general consensus appeared to be that the matter needed to be resolved by the courts and, as with the open border crisis under President Joe Biden, the laws on the books actually needed to be upheld to avoid exploitative workarounds in the first place.
Ending the anchor baby program is good for America.
— Asking Real Questions (@JamesJamersonIV) September 9, 2023
Families belong together! And these children need their parents, and they can all be together in their homeland!
— Brimstone Cowgirl (@cantaloop888) September 9, 2023
It’s time for someone to follow the laws……
— Mymy (@DarleneVickers3) September 9, 2023
Good, it might discourage the hop over the border, have a bunch of kids, and pray for amnesty.
How about fix the ports of entry and immigration process so people can do it legally.
— Socrates said that (@dymaedh) September 9, 2023
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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