Rep. Rohrabacher to Sen. Rubio: Fix Birthright Citizenship Loophole; Birth Tourism Industry Burgeoning in CA and NY
Statement
Today, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) sent a letter to Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) calling on him to fix a major loophole in the comprehensive immigration reform bill introduced this week by the Senate "Gang of 8."
"The abuse of the "birthright citizenship' clause of the 14th Amendment has opened the door to unregulated immigration and instant citizenship for large numbers of foreigners without any of the "rule of law' measures which you have championed in your bill," wrote Rep. Rohrabacher . "There is nothing in current law or your proposed reforms that prevents aliens, even from countries of national security concern, from establishing themselves in the United States."
In the letter, Rep. Rohrabacher cited a recent article in the Chinese Communist official newspaper The People's Daily that described how Chinese women are flocking to the United States to give birth so their children can be instant American citizens. The article quotes a consultant to such women as saying, "going to the U.S. to give birth, as well as returning to China with the child, usually proves to be relatively easy." A burgeoning industry of "birth tourism" clinics has appeared in California and New York. When the children become 21 years old, they can bring their families over from China as well.
"The Obama Administration would not assist me in investigating how many Chinese birthing clinics are in the United States," wrote Rep. Rohrabacher. "China is not the only place women are coming from to give birth. No one has taken into account how many immigrants will result from this practice."
"Congress should use its legislative power to define the meaning of the 14th Amendment so it applies only to those who have a U.S. citizen as a parent or who has a lawful resident status," concluded Rohrabacher's letter.
"If we are going to reform the immigration system lets do it in a way that it benefits the people of the United States," said Rohrabacher. "The problem is global and potentially very large. Ending birth right citizenship would shut down a process that is, in the long run, horribly detrimental to the American people."
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