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649848 tn?1534633700

Donald Trump wants to end ‘birthright citizenship.’

Here’s what the candidates for governor have to say.
By Adam C. Smith and Kirby Wilson Yesterday

TAMPA — President Trump is right to want to end birthright citizenship, which grants citizenship to anyone born in America — regardless of their parents' legal status — Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis said Tuesday.

Andrew Gillum, DeSantis' Democratic opponent, disagrees.

The comments from the candidates for governor came in response to news that President Trump intends to sign an executive order that would end automatic citizenship for people whose parents are not U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents.

DeSantis said he supports the idea of ending birthright citizenship, but he has some questions about the legal feasibility of doing so.

"As a matter of policy I don't think the Constitution intended that people could come illegally in order to get citizenship," DeSantis said. "That being said, there's been a long list of out decisions that I think you'd have to reckon with."

The right to citizenship is enshrined in the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which says, "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." As a matter of legal fact, the president of the United States cannot deny rights enshrined in the Constitution — the highest law of the land — via executive order.

Read more: Immigration hardliner Ron DeSantis' great-great-grandmother was nearly barred from America

Gillum said the announcement from Trump is "another example of the president attempting to be above the law."

Both DeSantis and Gillum made their comments after holding events in the Tampa Bay area Tuesday. DeSantis drew about 50 supporters to a campaign event at Tampa's La Teresita restaurant, and Gillum staged his own get-out-the-vote event before several hundred supporters at the New Port Richey Recreation & Aquatic Center. (DeSantis also had a campaign rally in Sun City Center slated for Tuesday afternoon.)

Gov. Rick Scott, who's running for U.S. Senate against Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson, was also asked about the president's proposal Tuesday after a press conference near Everglades Safari Park. Scott ignored the question and walked away from the reporter who asked it.

Later, Scott issued a statement in which he said "I have not seen the details of what the president is suggesting and would need to fully review the proposal."

Read more: Rick Scott walks away when asked if he supports Trump ending birthright citizenship

Scott's opponent, Nelson, tweeted that Trump cannot undo a Constitutional right with an executive order.

For their part, DeSantis and Gillum were also asked about the president's decision to deploy more than 5,000 troops to the southern border to discourage or block a caravan of an estimated 3,500 migrants heading north toward American soil. (The caravan is still hundreds of miles and several weeks away from reaching the border.)

DeSantis said he "absolutely" supports the president's decision.

"This is to try to prove a point that people basically can overrun our border. We're either a sovereign country or we're not, and the president needs to step up and support national sovereignty," DeSantis said in Tampa. "They're not really even refugees because the Mexican government offered them to be able to stay in Mexico, and they rejected that."

Gillum said although it's important to maintain a "nation of borders," the president needs to set a good example for the world at this moment.

"Certainly, the most powerful military in the world is not going to turn its guns on people seeking political and humanitarian asylum. That's not who we are. That's not consistent with our values," Gillum said.

Although Florida's governor has little sway over federal policy, immigration has been a key issue in the governor's race. DeSantis has repeatedly criticized Gillum for advocating for open borders, a claim PolitiFact has taken issue with. Over the summer, Gillum called for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement — the agency charged with enforcing American immigration law away from the U.S. border. The Tallahassee mayor said he would like to see ICE replaced with a "more compassionate and focused agency that actually keeps us safer."

Times/Herald reporters Alex Daugherty and Caitlin Ostroff contributed to this report. This story was updated throughout the day with comment from various elected officials.

http://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/10/30/ron-desantis-donald-trump-is-right-to-want-to-end-birthright-citizenship/
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973741 tn?1342342773
Well, Trump is clearly not the brightest and doesn't listen to advisors or precedence.  
I will say every time though that Trump or anyone tries to tackle immigration, they get stone walled.  It's such a huge problem and yet there are so many that seem to have no problem with the never ending influx.  
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Well, you can always look at it this way... we, as a country seem to be getting older and living longer - look at the number of baby boomers we have who are now retired and no longer contributing (or contributing very little) to the tax base or job market - and younger people are having fewer children, with many choosing to have none at all.  If we continue to stem the flow of people coming in, how long will it be before there will not be enough people to man the jobs, pay the taxes and support the country?  Forget about the fact that Congress raided the Social Security fund and used the money for other things - the simple fact that there are less workers contributing to it would eventually make it unsustainable.  Allowing immigration brings in more workers who will be contributing and helping to keep it solvent - provided Congress would stop raiding the fund... That's just one aspect of it - what about money to run other programs?  Of course, that's just "my" thought on the situation but it makes sense... :-)

The fact that no one is willing to tackle the immigration issue is an indication that our system is badly broken and needs to be fixed... that doesn't mean that Trump or any President should start trying to change laws via executive order.  That means that we, the people need to clear out the people in Washington who refuse to change things and put in people who "will" change them.  That doesn't mean we need radicalization on either side - that means we need people who are willing to work across the aisle and come up with solutions that will be acceptable to most people.
What I find amusing is that most republicans are always claiming to be strict constructionists - that the Constitutions is be interpreted literally - that the words speak for themselves! Now some of those same strict constructionists want to just ignore their traditional posture and allow the President to alter the plain meaning of the Constitution by Executive order. It is really preposterous - which is right is line with everything Trump says and does.
I'm seeing/hearing a lot about the phrase: "subject to the jurisdiction thereof" and how it's been interpreted incorrectly for so many years... Isn't everyone, except those with diplomatic immunity subject to the jurisdiction of the United States?  It seems like they've chosen to pick that phrase apart and pretend like the framers meant something other than what they might have meant in order for Trump to get by with an executive order.  

I guess I'm feeling kind of blase' about the whole thing because 1) I think he's blowing a lot of hot air just before election and 2) whatever he tries to do is going to be litigated anyway, so he might at well try to work with Congress and do it right the first time.
I agree again.
I always thought the 14th amendment had to do with Black Citizenship after the Civil War and, I still do. I truly believe when it was drafted, they were trying to rebuild the US after the Civil War it was to grant all Freed Slaves and their children citizenship. I truly do not believe the thought of an invasion of South Americans illegally crossing our borders, having a child, and we reward them with citizenship ever crossed their minds                                                                                                                                                                                                    https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/fourteenth-amendment
973741 tn?1342342773
I know this is will sound cold hearted but I really don't have a problem with it.  It's about the parents being here illegally and why should they receive the benefit of having children here that then automatically become citizens entitled to all of our country's rights?  I don't get why that is okay.  
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I probably don't have a lot of problem with it, either, but the discussion needs to be about immigration and ways to actually solve a problem...

What I "do" have a problem with is Trump's arrogance in believing that he can do with the mere swipe of a pen with an Executive Order what needs to be done with a constitutional amendment.  He's not any better than any other President and he needs to go through the amendment process like anyone else.   This has already gone through the Supreme Court twice in the past, now it will probably be done again... what a waste of the Supreme Court.  Let him go through the legal process from the beginning if he wants to get things done.  
649848 tn?1534633700
I realize that the above article references state issues here in FL with our governor's race, but there is commentary throughout the country about this issue right with, what appears to be, the majority of people, including Senators, attorneys, etc believing that Trump can't do this with an executive order.  Most seem to believe that it has to go through Congress at the very least and some believe that it has to be done with a full constitutional amendment.  It will be interesting to see what Trump's Supreme Court decides on it... I heard one interview yesterday in which the person thought even one conservative justice would vote for a constitutional amendment.  

On a different note, Trump claimed that the U.S is the only country that does this... here's a list of other countries that do the same thing.  

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/countries-who-offer-birthright-citizenship.html
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