Lindsey Graham may have decided to go way harsh on letting the U.S.-born children of illegals be citizens, but Mike Huckabee, charting his own course among leading GOP lights these days, begs to differ:
Huckabee on Immigration: Don’t Punish the Kids
Posted by John Wihbey on Wednesday, August 11, 2010
In a Wednesday interview with NPR’s On Point, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, an ‘08 GOP candidate for president and a potential candidate again in 2012, said he did not favor repeal of the 14th Amendment — which grants citizenship to all children born on U.S. soil, regardless of their parents’ immigration status – and said that all children of illegal immigrants should have a path to citizenship.
Asked if he would favor changing the Constitution, Huckabee said, “No. Let me tell you what I would favor. I would favor having controlled borders.”
He also elaborated on his views on illegal immigrants’ children who came to the U.S. later on. “You do not punish a child for something the parent did,” he told On Point host Tom Ashbrook. “…I’d rather have that kid a neurosurgeon than a tomato picker.”
Huckabee’s positions likely represent dividing lines in any future GOP presidential primary. As the illegal immigration issue has flared up again in American politics, the issue of birthright citizenship has become a hot topic in GOP circles, as various people have called for its repeal or reinterpretation by the courts. (Listen back to On Point’s Monday segment on the issue.)
Huckabee is an interesting guy who thinks for himself on a number of issues. Sort of like Lindsey Graham, so this contrast is all the more interesting for that.
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Don’t punish children — hey, a compassionate conservative!
How is it punishment for children to inherit the nationality of their parents?
As long as the parents cannot use the baby as an anchor baby, who cares? The kid can come back any time he wants through the proper procedures already in place.
Sneak in illegally, have the baby at the U.S. citizens expense, and then get a paid trip back home. Seems like a good deal to me.
I think that Lindsey has it right. Right now, we are awarding the criminals by having babies in the US.
If illegal has not been redefined, then illegal is criminal.
Lindsey also advocates securing the border which is certainly needed in this post 9-11 era.
I believe that if you are born in the Land Of The Free then you are a citizen of said Land. I also believe our LOTF borders should be more secure. And if one is brought here without consent — say a baby or child — and grows up as a
‘normal’ American (sic) in this LOTF, then such person should have legitimate claim for residence/citizenship. And people coming to the LOTF just to have a child here is very rare. Only the Mad Tea Party ilk thinks that is true.
Oh, and BTW, closing bars at 2 am will not keep illegals out of Columbia, or solve any other dire problem.
Lindsey got this wrong. Huckabee is sensing middle ground up for grabs; as if that reflects his world view. Strange situation. Guess in a way it is a pro life stance. However, I doubt Lindsey was viewing this in pro choice / pro life terms. But is kind of interesting to contemplate . . .