EDITORIAL - A constitutional amendment which was designed to insure the rights of freed slaves after the Civil War has been misappropriated and exploited to create and sustain our current illegal immigration crisis.

One of the greatest incentives driving illegals to enter the United States unlawfully is the “anchor baby”. Once a child is born here to an illegal, that child is currently deemed a US citizen and returning an illegal with a US citizen child back to their nation of origin has become a near-impossibility.

While there are additional incentives to invade our sovereign nation – this single loophole in our constitution is one of the largest contributors to the massive influx of illegals into our country.

Therefore, it seems that closing the loophole would go a long way toward alleviating some of the pressure on our porous borders.

It is with this purpose that I put forth a modest proposal. A Constitutional Amendment to clarify the meaning of citizenship, and to guarantee that citizenship at birth is not a reward to those who were birthed by parents who had no legal right to be here at the time.

Let’s see if any elected officials have the stones to introduce or sponsor the following constitutional amendment:

The Citizenship Clarification and Preservation Amendment

The 14th Amendment to the Constitution is hereby amended to replace the phrase “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” with “Only persons born in a legal status or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens at birth of the United States and of the State wherein they reside”.

The phrase “born in a legal status”, for the purpose of this amendment, shall be defined as persons born to a mother who is Citizen of the United States, or who is a registered, legal permanent resident of the United States at the time of the birth within the borders of the United States or its territories.

“Registered”, for the purpose of this amendment, shall be defined as having been granted permanent resident alien status by the Immigration and Naturalization Agencies of the United States Government.

Persons born within the United States to mothers in any other status than legal permanent resident or United States Citizen shall not be citizens of the United States at birth, and shall be deemed of like nationality and origin as that of the mother.

Citizenship shall be available to persons born to temporary legal residents of the United States only through naturalization.

Citizenship by naturalization shall be permanently denied to any person whose entrance into the United States was not through legal immigration channels. No person entering the United States illegally shall ever be granted citizenship to the United States, whether that illegal entry is prosecuted or penalized or not. Decriminalization, pardon, or amnesty for illegal entry shall not supersede this provision. This prohibition shall apply regardless of the age of the illegal entrant at the time of entry.

Citizenship by naturalization shall be available to those born within the United States to unlawful immigrant mothers only after completion of 2 years of public service in either the United States Military or in such civilian service as shall be deemed acceptable by act of Congress.

The citizenship status of children born prior to the date of ratification of this amendment shall not be changed by this amendment.

I challenge any legislator to introduce this amendment or one of like character. Mass deportations will not be necessary to “deal with the 12 million illegals already here” (as the left loves to state), if the incentives to be here illegally are removed.

Dry up the employment opportunities for illegals by enabling employers to be more vigilant in determining legal status, and by penalizing employers who hire illegals.

Remove economic incentives by restricting social programs to citizens only.

And END the anchor baby problem!