Born in the US but not American?

[elwoodblues]

I don't know if I'd call the first sentence of the 14th Amendment a loophole...

Even if there are a lot of people upset about it, it takes a lot more than a majority to amend the constitution.

[Olof]

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Foreign embassies in the US are considered foreign soild right? Why don't we force hospitals to force all expectant mothers to produce verification of citizenship, and if they can't then send them on an ambulance to the nearest Mexican embassy where they can have their baby.

[/ QUOTE ]

This doesn't sound very practical, but it got me thinking. If, for instance, a Swedish woman would give birth at the US embassy whilst waiting in line to apply for a student visa or whatever, could she claim US citizenship for her child?

[BluffTHIS!]

Citizenship is different countries is defined either on the basis of the country of birth, jus soli, or on the basis of the nationality of the parents, jus sanguinus. While I am in favor of more lenient immigration standards with respect to persons from our neighbor Mexico, either legal or otherwise in the US, there is no reason that it would be unjust for the US to adopt the standard of jus sanguinus, because non-citizens do not have the right to illegally come here and have children as a possible means to keep themselves in the US. The US besides recognizing jus solis has also recognized as citizens those children born abroad whose parents are both US citizens and one of which has lived in the US prior to the child's birth. So even under the jus sanguinus only standard, the children of US citizens would not be denied US citizenship if born abroad.

Each nation has the right to determine citizenship standards, and nationals of other countries have no right to be citizens of other countries. While an important part of US history is an openess to accept immigrants in search of a better life for themselves and their children, there have to be limits. IMO, we should give preference first to Mexico, and then to other nearby countries, because doing so helps those countries by taking in their former citizens who then can prosper here and send back money to help their country of birth economically which makes for a more stable region of which the US is a part.

[andyfox]

I wonder how the woman in labor would feel about the modesty of your proposal.