Event Report: The Impact of Repealing
Birthright Citizenship

       On May 11, 2011 the Center for American Progress hosted an event titled The Impact of Repealing Birthright Citizenship. This event was a follow-up to a previous event CAP hosted that focused on the historical background of birthright citizenship; the report for that event can be found here.
       The panelists consisted of Wade Henderson, President and CEO, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; Margaret Stock, Adjunct Instructor, University of Alaska Anchorage; Priscilla Huang, Associate Policy Director, Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum; and Sam Fulwood III, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress. The members of the panel concluded that repealing birthright citizenship, guaranteed in the 14^th amendment, would not fix current immigration problems facing the US. In fact, the panelists argued it would make the situation even worse. Margaret Stock noted that this would create a new bureaucracy to check birth certificates or the citizenship status of the parents of the child. This bureaucracy would certainly not come without costs and Mr. Fulwood estimates that ending birthright citizenship could potentially add a birth tax of up to $600 dollars per child.
       The panelists noted that in addition to creating a new bureaucracy and a birth tax, repealing birthright citizenship would create a new underclass in our nation. Individuals who are born here but have undocumented parents would not be considered citizens; meaning they would not have access to many social institutions in the US, such as legal employment or federal financial aid, limiting their future success. This effect would carry out through generations meaning the undocumented population would increase greatly while the ability of these individuals to contribute to the economic productivity of this nation, due to the lack of access to education, would remain minimal.
       Priscilla Huang discussed the effects that repealing birthright citizenship would have on women. She noted that terms like “anchor baby” or “drop-and-leave” are meant to devalue immigrant women and the latter phrase is typically used in reference to animal mothers. Ms. Huang noted that immigrant women are generally more targeted by immigration or welfare policies because of their ability to give birth.
       The whole panel noted this idea of ending birthright, although generally endorsed by conservatives, is not a right vs. left issue and is not a view that is shared by all conservatives. They noted that it creates government intervention at birth and a birth tax, ideas that are generally opposed by conservatives. However, the panelists were disappointed in Republican leaders of Congress for not voicing their disapproval of this attempt to repeal birthright citizenship.
        The Center for American Progress has released a summary on the impacts of repealing birthright citizenship. To read the brief click here.