Freeing the anchor (babies) by changing the 14th Amendment.

So...

There's a lot of talk in the news about immigration reform (whatever that means these days) and illegal immigration, which has turned to discussion about the 14th Amendment. For those who don't know, the 14th Amendment is the addition to the US Constitution that grants automatic citizenship to anyone born in the United States. It was drafted after the Civil War in response to African-Americans and newly freed slaves, allowing them and their children to be free citizens on America, whereas before they did not have that right upon birth. Congress at the time did not consider the current plight of immigrants nor the economic burden of illegal border crossings on this country, but many believe that the section of the 14th Amendment which grants automatic freedom to those born in the US should still be upheld. Others, however, feel it allows too many to take advantage of a Constitutional addition not written for it's current usage, such as those who enter this country for the sole purpose of having their children granted US citizenship. There are even charter trips for groups of non-US citizens that come here from other countries, jetting pregnant foreigners to US soil, booking them the living arrangements and allowing the expectant mothers to give birth to their babies in US hospitals (at US taxpayers expense), then return home so that one day their children can just come freely into this country.

Those who want to keep the 14th Amendment the way it is claim that to adjust the 14th Amendment would be punishing innocent children, which is a tough case to sell to the American people. There is also the argument that we should not change the Amendment, as it is equal to changing the Constitution. This later argument is flimsy, because the Amendment itself is already a change to the original Constitution. Also, there are so many differences in American culture that the founding fathers couldn't have predicted (though they did an amazing job of creating a Constitution broad enough to be timeless) that Constitutional ratifications and changes are sometimes necessary. While not an excuse to go trampling all over the Constitution, there are instances where Government must examine it for a changing society.

Those who want to modify the 14th Amendment to remove the automatic citizenship clause claim that it promotes illegal immigration, as non-citizens cross the border to have their babies in this country illegally for the sole purpose of giving them citizens. In addition to flying into this country, as I mentioned above, along the Mexican border US hospitals are getting flooded with expectant illegal immigrant parents sneaking into the country and having what is called "anchor babies." The term anchor babies refers to the baby being put into the position of, via their automatic citizenship, tethering the illegal parents into America as immigration and customs enforcement (ICE) is often unwilling, understandably, to kick the parents of the US citizen child out of the country since the child is a legal citizen. This baby then acts as the anchor who ties the child down while not only the parents stay here, but other members of the family enter the country as once the child turns 18 he can sponsor family members to get them citizenship. Not only is it unfair to those who wait patiently to be granted citizenship, it's a burden placed on an innocent child who has no say in their future.

To those who say that changing the 14th Amendment to drop the automatic citizenship clause is cruel and simply wrong to punish the children of illegals, is it not cruel and wrong to do otherwise? What about the child who has to grow up knowing their parents have broken the law for them? Is that fair to give the child a life where the first act they committed as a citizen is to have broken the law? And what about living with the fear that their parents are illegal immigrants and could very well be (however unlikely) deported? Not to mention the burden of having to often bring in other family members? It is wrong and unfair for a child to have to grow up where there parents are not able to have the best life they can have as illegals in the country, yet it would be wrong to just make them citizens. It's a hardship no child should have to go through. Also, it is dangerous for the parents to cross over illegally for the sake of the child. By changing the Amendment, it would discourage expectant mothers from risking their lives for the journey to America to give birth here and thus not endanger the child, either.

Never mind the cost of illegal births or the unfairness of it to immigrants who follow proper channels, automatic citizenship is simply a danger and unnecessary burden for a child to take on, through no fault of their own, and should be modified in the 14th Amendment. For the sake of the expectant parents and the child-to-be it is the right thing to do.