July 31, 2005

Congressional Act to Trump ‘Anchor Babies’

The American melting pot seems itself to be melting – due to the influx of “anchor babies.”

Hispanics constitute more than half the U.S. population – not including 11 million illegals -- according to year-old figures compiled by the Center for Immigration Studies at Washington. D.C.

This influx is way beyond the flood of European immigrants in the early 1900s. Today, public services such as welfare, health and education for illegals are overwhelmed.

Despite earnest efforts of the U.S. border patrol, it is estimated that a million illegal immigrants sneaked past our borders last year to take up permanent residency.

Employers of common labor seek them. Businesses solicit their patronage. Smugglers and counterfeiters supply identification cards. Local bigwigs look the other way.

It would seem that the economic bargain struck by interested parties is win-win. Yet, the assault on an American assimilated culture of many nationalities is dividing the country faster than it melds.

Once upon a time, immigrants to the U.S. strained to learn the common language. Latinos today disdain the language of opportunity. By sheer numbers, they have conned the rest of us to become bi-lingual.

“To speak Spanish, push 2.” Ask for a ballot printed in Spanish. Demand Spanish-speaking teachers.

Political correctness has handicapped assimilation of our largest minority. We have to change because 21st century Hispanic immigrants won’t.

President Bush last week told House Republicans – in a closed-door meeting – that he wants them to pass guest-worker immigration act this fall. A bill to do that has been sponsored by Rep. Jeff Flake but languishes.

Odd Couple Senators John McCain and Ted Kennedy have co-sponsored another version. However, Majority Leader Bill Frist says it can’t be considered until next summer. Liberal senators are too busy witch hunting.

No matter, “anchor babies” are fast making irrelevant the politics we have come to know and love. Blame it all on the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Article II, Sec. 1 of the Constitution states citizens must be “natural born.” After the Civil War, the victors were afraid African-born slaves would be ostracized.

The 14th Amendment – perhaps illegally adopted and ratified in 1868 -- was intended to ensure that former Confederate States would not deny civil rights to African-born slaves.

To make sure that babies of visiting foreigners would not clog citizenship machinery, the first sentence of 14th says: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and the State wherein they reside.”

Note carefully – “subject to the jurisdiction thereof.” This was intended to exclude Native Americans who had negotiated treaties as independent nations. A Congressional Act years later made an exception for American Indians.

One of the large over-looks of illegal entry into the U.S. is that for pregnant women ready to deliver their babies. By politically correct interpretation, one-minute-old infants anchor themselves and family to American citizenship and all public services.

When an “anchor baby” – so called by immigrants – reaches age 21, his/her entire family are entitled to move to the U.S., become automatic citizens and enjoy public entitlements. Until then, the public largess suffices.

The plus side of all this is that Hispanics who assimilate make good Americans. The problem is the rapid influx of huge numbers of under-skilled workers who ship their profits back home, while enjoying the benefits of education and welfare for their young families. In two more generations, Latinos will be the majority group.

Our own 16th District Congressman Mark Foley several years ago proposed a Constitutional Amendment to emphasize the “jurisdiction” requirement of new-borns. The proposal languishes in the House of Representative cranny reserved for good ideas whose time has not yet come.

Until then, Rep. Foley and Speaker Dennis Hastert could craft a Citizenship Reform Act that could bring the badly mauled 14th Amendment back to common sense per the Indian exception.

The entire 14th deserves to be repealed, but this would require ratification by three-fourths of the state legislatures. Suicides by blue-state Bush haters would be too horrific.

Let us encourage Foley to take his best hold.

Lindsey Williams is a Sun columnist who can be contacted at linwms@lindseywilliams.org