Coming Out of the Woodwork

As AP reports, some anti-immigrant lawmakers are making the predictable leap into political outer space. In particular, they are questioning whether everyone born in the United States should be a citizen. One, Nathan Deal (R-Ga), "tried unsuccessfully to revoke the citizenship-by-birth right in the immigration bill passed by the House in December," according to the AP story. Given that the 14th Amendment states that all persons born in the territory of the United States are citizens, it's not clear what mechanism Deal tried to use. Presumably, even an undistinguished representative would realize that a constitutional provision cannot be overridden by legislation.

Is it a coincidence that a Georgia Republican would attempt to make points by suggesting that native-born should not equal citizenship? Maybe, but consider this: the 14th Amendment's citizenship clause was written to assure that newly-freed slaves would have the rights of citizenship. As such, it was a vital part of the post-Civil War effort--soon abandoned--to make black Americans equal to whites.

Fortunately, it is difficult to believe that an attempt to weaken the 14th Amendment could get anywhere; it would be too freighted with racial overtones to attract support even from many Republicans, and Democrats could be counted on to oppose it with virtual unanimity. And it is also true that congressmen often talk the most outrageous bunk.

Still, a proposal like Deal's should make us stop and think how much of the current immigration debate is not really a debate about all who come into the country, but about Hispanic immigrants. Is race an issue? You bet it is.