The "We the People" opening phrase in the Constitution distinguishes the United States from other nations. President Abraham Lincoln reiterated the Founders' phrase in the Gettysburg Address, declaring that the government of the United States was "of the people, by the people, and for the people ..."
The First Congress, by an Act of March 26, 1790 (1 Stat.103), legislated the following definition of U.S. citizenship:
And the children of citizens of the United States that may be born beyond the sea, or out of the limits of the United States, shall be considered as natural born citizens: Provided, That the right of citizenship shall not descend to persons whose fathers have never been resident in the United States."
Arguably, "persons" referred to male and female and "resident" referred to legal resident persons.
Following the Civil War, Congress added persons of "African nativity and ... descent" (Sec. 7, 16 Stat. 254, 256 of July 14, 1870) as entitled to naturalization ––not birthright citizenship but the right to apply for naturalization. In theory, all former slaves were granted citizenship — not necessarily in reality.
The current practice is to confer U.S. citizenship on any person born in the United States, even though U.S. laws remain unclear that children born of illegal aliens automatically gain citizenship via birthright.
U.S. social welfare agencies, however, act on the premise of birthright citizenship, even in cases where a mother-to-be crosses the U.S. border illegally and gives birth to a child in the United States.
The mother obtains a U.S. birth certificate for the child, and returns to her homeland with her child to receive U.S. citizenship benefits (anchor babies).
The U.S. Congress retains sole power over naturalization (Sec. 8, Art. I of the Constitution), and that power is an exclusive one. Sec.1 of the Fourteenth Amendment considers two sources of citizenship: birth, those persons born in the United States and subject to its jurisdiction; and naturalization, those persons who apply for U.S. citizenship and qualify. (see Sec. 301 of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952).
The dictionary definition of citizen is "a member of a civic culture, consisting of a geographic area with a structured form of government." Citizenship is a relationship between an individual and a nation-state, in which the individual owes allegiance to that nation-state. The nation-state protects the individual and grants certain rights in exchange for certain duties and responsibilities. Just as national character is the foundation of a nation-state, so loyalty to the nation is the foundation of citizenship.
The Nancy Pelosi-led Democrats and the post-modern "Progressive Democrats," seek to formulate immigration legislation that will negate any citizenship requirements — open borders. Actually, no borders.
Many of these foreign individuals will be religious fanatics seeking to impose their religion on America, or communist/socialist operatives seeking control of America, or vainglory nihilistic anarchists seeking to destroy America, or just lost individuals who lack any idea of what they want.
Over the past decades, thousands of pregnant Chinese women have traveled to America, supposedly as tourists, but they come to have babies born in America — "anchor babies." Thus, thousands of young Chinese have American citizenship and unfettered access to the United States.
During the COVID-19 crisis, it has come to light that China has actual control of American pharmacutical manufacturing processes, it has ownership in whole or in part of a significant portion of American food processing operations, it has ownership in whole or in part of American clothing industry, it has significant influence in American higher education institutions, and the list of China's influence continues.
In short, Communist China is a vicarious American "citizen," entrepenuer and educator.
Why do the Pelosi-led Socialist Democrats ignore the China intrusions into American life?
Since 2018, the elected Democrat majority in the U..S. House of Representatives is intent on dismantling the requirements for citizenship and reshape America.
Why?
Many American citizens believe the Democrats with their leftist agenda, are merely shills for the Communist Chinese government.
During the time of the COVID-19 plague, the leftist Pelosi Democrats seek to use the medical emergency to socialize America.
So far, the Republicans, strenghtened by President Donald Trump, have mostly held the socialist Democrats at bay.
The Pelosi-led Democrat immigration legislation proposals would contravene the nation's founding principles. The shear volume of illegal aliens currently in the United States (25 million plus) and those coming each day (legally and illegally) weaken the basic tenets of the Constitution. Democrats want auntomatic citizenship for all illegal aliens now in the country, and open borders for future migrants.
Do the Democrats really expect that upon passage of their open-door immigration legislation, millions of foreign persons will suddenly honestly pledge allegiance to the United States or honor the flag? Or, will the Democrats cancel the pledge of allegiance and consign the American flag to the garbage bin — to appease the new "citizens."
James H. Walsh was associate general counsel with the U.S. Department of Justice Immigration and Naturalization Service from 1983 to 1994. Read James H. Walsh's Reports — More Here.
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