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17 points by chema 1 year ago

a_bonobo 1 year ago |

>Eliminating birthright citizenship would permanently reshape the electorate and weaken U.S. democracy. Importing one of Europe's most illiberal policies would result in a permanent underclass in the U.S., held back by respectability politics and the shifting goalposts of integration.

Is that not the goal of the whole plan? The cruelty is the point.

mitthrowaway2 1 year ago |

I wonder if there isn't room for middle ground? By the time a kid born in the US and who has attended school there their whole life reaches ~13 years old, their identity as an American will be pretty strongly cemented for life. Perhaps this can be the point where they are automatically granted citizenship?

It won't impact their right to vote, which wouldn't be for a few more years anyway.

But then again, I have no idea what problem the US opponents of birthright citizenship are trying to solve.

chema 1 year ago | |

This would be similar to the French model, which allows youths born in France (except in Mayotte) to non-French parents between the ages of 13 and 16 to become naturalized by decree if they have lived in France for at least five years since the age of 8 and have parental permission. Still quite restrictive and presents obvious challenges to integration, but it remains more permissive than what this administration is proposing.

As for the underlying issue, I'm not sure, but I suspect it might be related to the so-called "$5M gold card." Perhaps the goal is to make citizenship more exclusive and drive up its perceived value?

French nationality law (in French, obviously): https://www.immigration.interieur.gouv.fr/Integration-et-Acc...