Arizona lawmakers on Thursday Rep. Albert Hale, D-Window filed four bills for Rock, a Navajo, said that consideration that they hope under these bills he would be will change how the U.S. considered an "anchor baby" recognizes children of because Native Americans were illegal immigrants. not granted citizenship until House Bill 2561 and Senate 1924. Bill 1309 defines an Arizona "My grandfather was not a citizen as someone "lawfully citizen. My mother, born in domiciled" in Arizona who is 1919, was not a citizen," he born in the U.S. and is said. "So I am a child of a "subject to the jurisdiction non-citizen and therefore thereof." It defines illegal. Am I to be deported? individuals who are subject And If I am, where are you to the jurisdiction of the U. going to deport me to?" S. as children who have at He warned that passing these least one parent who is a U.S. bills would create a crisis citizen, a U.S. national or a of children "who are legal permanent U.S. resident. stateless and without a House Bill 2562 and Senate country." Bill 1308 would require "This will create a class of Arizona to create separate people who are not welcome in birth certificates for the country where they are children who are deemed to be born," he said. "This is not Arizona citizens under House the Arizona I know. This is Bill 2561 and those who are not the Arizona I want." not. It also seeks permission Attorney Steve Montoya, who from Congress to form was involved with the compacts with other states lawsuits challenging the doing the same thing. constitutionality of SB 1070, Phoenix birthright called the bill a "complete citizenship bill protest waste of time." HB 2561: Arizona citizenship "When we're having to close | Birth certificates schools because we're This morning, opposition bankrupt, these jokers are groups gathered at the state pushing laws that will only Capitol waving signs and push the state further into speaking out against the debt," he said. "This law effort. Democratic lawmakers reflects the ignorance of the and immigrant rights groups people who wrote it." held news conferences He said the bills are so throughout the day. blatantly unconstitutional Sen. Ron Gould, R-Lake Havasu that it's unlikely the City, and Rep. John Kavanagh, Supreme Court would even R-Fountain Hills, are the consider them. primary bill sponsors. Twenty- "The state of Arizona cannot seven Republican lawmakers overturn the 14th Amendment," have signed on support, but he said. others commented that the A group of Arizona ranchers Legislature should be held a news conference focusing on the budget, jobs Thursday morning to unveil or border security instead. their plan for securing the Senate President Russell border. Pearce, R-Mesa, who along Sen. Sylvia Allen, R- with Kavanagh led the effort Snowflake, who is supporting to get Senate Bill 1070 the rancher's efforts, said passed last year, has been the Legislature needs to help working on this issue for address the problems at the years. Kansas attorney Kris border before tackling issues Kobach, who helped draft SB like birthright citizenship. 1070 and in November was She said she did not sign on elected Kansas Secretary of as a sponsor of Gould's bills. State, also helped with this "Border security is number legislation. one," she said. "That will Unlike with SB 1070, Arizona help slow down so many of the won't be alone in this effort. other problems we have." Lawmakers from about a dozen Sen. Steve Smith, R-Maricopa, states have united under said he thinks the State Legislators for Legal Legislature can and is Immigration and are expected addressing several different to consider identical prongs of the immigration birthright citizenship problem at once. legislation in their states "You can walk and chew gum at this year. However, Arizona the same time," he said. seems to be the first state "There are so many different so far to actually introduce parts that factor into this the bills. problem." States have oversight over He said he will support birth certificates and, to an Gould's bill and will extent, over who can receive introduce a bill of his own state services, but to collect donations to help citizenship is a federal build a wall along the issue. Creating different Mexican border. birth certificates, or giving According to a study released people different levels of in August by the Pew Hispanic access to state services Center, about 340,000 based on information on birth children were born in the U.S. certificates, would open the to illegal immigrants in 2008. state to federal lawsuits. Most were born to parents who Kavanagh, Pearce and the had lived in the U.S. for other lawmakers say that's more than a year. Pew exactly what they want: to researchers could not say how force these lawsuits so the many of those children were federal courts will consider born in Arizona but did say whether the 14th Amendment that about 4 percent of the truly grants citizenship to nation's illegal immigrants children born in the U.S. to are in Arizona. illegal immigrants. If 4 percent of the 340,000 "The court needs to rule on children in the U.S. born to this so we can figure out how illegal immigrants are also to treat these kids," Gould in Arizona, that would equate said. to about 13,600 children born The 14th Amendment, ratified in Arizona in 2008. in 1868, states that "all Kavanagh has said his primary persons born or naturalized concern is not parents using in the United States, and their children to become subject to the jurisdiction citizens but the amount of thereof, are citizens of the money the children cost United States and of the taxpayers because, as State wherein they reside." citizens, they have access to Those who favor reform say social services such as illegal immigrants aren't health care and welfare. "subject to the jurisdiction" There are a number of Arizona of the U.S, so their children taxpayer-funded services that can't qualify for birthright non-citizens are eligible for, citizenship. such as public school. But "The parents broke the law," only legal residents can get Pearce said. "There are food stamps, cash assistance consequences of breaking laws. under the needy-families " program, a driver's license Rep. Richard Miranda, D- and in-state college tuition. Tolleson, said the Previous legislative efforts Legislature should be working in Arizona to change the way to strengthen Arizona's the state handles birth economy, not bringing the certificates have failed. state more "ridicule and In 2007, an initiative called anger." the Birthright Citizenship "We must act together to move Alignment Act that would have Arizona forward and not act required hospitals to check as individuals who seek to be the citizenship of the celebrities," he said. parents of newborns failed to Sen. Steve Gallardo, D- make the ballot. In 2008, Phoenix, compared the idea of former state Sen. Karen two birth certificates to the Johnson, R-Mesa, proposed days of "separate but equal." asking voters to change the "This takes us back to the way the state issues birth time when we had separate certificates. Birth drinking fountains ... certificates would have still swimming pools ... public been given to children of education, one for Black and illegal immigrants, but the one for White," he said. certificates would have Rep. Catherine Miranda, D- stated "that the child was Phoenix, compared the bill's born to parents who were not agenda to that of Nazi in this country legally and Germany. that the child is not "Today in Arizona, thousands eligible for benefits that of Arizona mothers go to work require United States not knowing if they will citizenship." return to their families or Pearce, a state end up in deportation centers, representative at the time, " she said. "Who can doubt was one of the sponsors. The that we are experiencing a bill was never given a holocaust in Arizona." committee hearing.
Tags: Arizona, bills, birthright, file, lawmakers
