Birthright Citizenship, Illegal Aliens, and the Original Meaning of the Citizenship Clause

50 Pages Posted: 6 Aug 2010 Last revised: 24 Sep 2012

See all articles by Matthew Ing

Matthew Ing

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Date Written: September 12, 2012

Abstract

The Citizenship Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment is typically understood as granting birthright citizenship to U.S.-born children of illegal aliens. However, this orthodox view is disputed by “consensualists” who argue that the original meaning of the Clause’s qualifier, “subject to the jurisdiction thereof,” would have excluded such children from citizenship, by requiring that the parents of such a child possess federal permission for their presence on American soil, and that they not owe any foreign allegiance. Yet this “consensualist interpretation” is incorrect on originalist grounds. Evidence from before, during, and after the Fourteenth Amendment’s enactment demonstrates that the original meaning of “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” is actually the same as the qualifier’s current, “orthodox” interpretation: “subject to the civil and criminal laws of the United States.” Hence, the Citizenship Clause’s original meaning, as understood by both Congress and the ratifying public, is consistent with birthright citizenship for illegal aliens’ children.

Keywords: Citizenship Clause, originalism, original meaning

Suggested Citation

Ing, Matthew, Birthright Citizenship, Illegal Aliens, and the Original Meaning of the Citizenship Clause (September 12, 2012). 45 Akron L. Rev. 719 (2012), Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1653650 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1653650

Matthew Ing (Contact Author)

affiliation not provided to SSRN

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