Congressman Duncan D. Hunter recently addressed a group of constituents at a town-hall style meeting in San Diego County. One of the topics was his favorite, illegal immigration. As you can see by the video clip, he ended his remarks with strong support of Arizona's recent legislation SB1070 and the support of building more border walls and adding more security at the U.S.- Mexico border. His father, Duncan L. Hunter, a 14 term Congressman for the same district, was responsible for writing the legislation that built the first border walls between the U.S and Mexico over 15 years ago and supported the recent building of 700 more miles of border walls in 2007 - 2008. It is clear that Duncan D. Hunter is pleased to be carrying on his father's goal of what he calls, "completely securing the border."
In addition to supporting more militarization at the U.S. - Mexico border, Mr. Duncan D. Hunter also believes that the removal of U.S. born children of undocumented immigrant parents will help stop illegal immigration. As you can see by the video, a member of his town-hall audience asked the Congressman, "Would you support the deportation of natural American citizens that are the children of illegal aliens?" and the Congressman replied. "I would have to. Yes." I couldn't believe my ears. Does Mr. Hunter actually want to deport U.S. citizens? The 14th Amendment states, "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States...." Immigration status of the parents is not a consideration for their children's right to citizenship. The vast majority of U.S. citizens were granted citizenship by this constitutional right of birth.
I spoke with Congressman Hunter's communications director and policy advisor, Joe Kasper for clarification. He said that Congressman Hunter is currently supporting legislation that would prohibit the children of undocumented immigrants from gaining U.S. citizenship by right of birth. According to Mr. Kasper, the Congressman was speaking from that context. On some level I understood Mr. Kasper's defense of Congressman Hunter's remarks but the video does not lie. My ears hear the Congressman saying he wants to deport U.S. citizens. I also hear that they need to be deported because the state of California is "going under." I can only conclude that Congressman Hunter believes that the children of undocumented immigrants are somehow responsible for California's economic downturn. It also appears to me that these "children of illegal alien parents" are a different or a lower class of U.S. citizen and do not deserve to be defended by the U.S. Constitution. Mr. Hunter continues by telling his audience about the financial drain caused by illegal immigration but says nothing about the fact that undocumented immigrants pay sales tax, property tax, gas tax and even income tax that most experts believe nullifies state expenses. But, that would not be the right context of making the children of undocumented immigrants the bogeyman.
Mr. Duncan D. Hunter has found the same scapegoat as his father. The topic of illegal immigration stokes fears and animosity and fills coffers and secures votes. Standing on the backs of poor, hard working, faith-based, humble, family oriented immigrants makes Congressman Hunter seem like a mighty hero. It makes him seem tough on immigration. It doesn't matter that the border fences built by his father are an utter failure. After billions of dollars and hundreds of miles of scarred landscape, nothing has changed. People are still coming for the jobs we offer. It doesn't matter that militarization of the border has shifted migration patterns to the hostile desserts and mountains of the American southwest causing the death of thousands of migrants. It doesn't matter; it's red meat for the constituents at the expense of meaningful immigration reform.
The U.S border patrol states that 99% of all undocumented immigrants are coming to the U.S. for a job. It is a lie that more fences will deter migrants. It is a lie that they are coming to have children. It is a lie that stripping citizenship rights will stop illegal immigration. If Mr. Hunter really wanted to solve the issues of immigration he would look at the demand for illegal narcotics in the U.S. that funds and fuels smuggling and violence at the border. He would look at the demand for cheap labor on U.S. farms, factories, and service industries. He would look at the tenets of NAFTA, CAFTA and the Peruvian free trade agreements. He would look at poverty, corrupt governments, the visa systems and need for family reunification. It is shameful that the best a U.S. Congressman can do is strip U.S. citizens of their right of birth and tear up the U.S. constitution, a document he is sworn to uphold.
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Legislation cannot override explicit rights granted by the Constitution. It would take a Federal Constitutional Amendment, not legislation, to make such an idea law. This is such a basic fact that I find it hard to believe Mr. Kasper did not know this, and this is a failed attempt at damage control to mask either the ignorance or the disregarding of the Constitution of the United States.
Mr. Kasper said the proposed legislation would clarify the 14th amendment because it is currently being misused and misinterpreted and that process is not subject to state ratification. Most legal scholars take your view that you cannot change constitutional amendments on a whim - for good reason. I don't think the 14 amendment is in jeopardy, at least for today.
This entire discussion is specious. The real face of the discussion should be the racism of the people advocating these sorts of extremist measures. It's time to stop tip-toeing around and calling this type of rhetoric what it is: Racist Hate Baiting.
Second, there are no drug cartels invading the U.S. from Canada. If anything, they should be trying to keep our U.S. drug smugglers and Mexican cartels out of Canada.
Third, no one on the left is tip-toeing around the subject of racism. Indeed, the subject is interjected into the most benign of political discussions by the left on a daily basis as a standard mindless talking point. You know, as you just did.
As a matter of fact, the drug boys have found that the largely vacant areas of the US-Canadian border is becoming a less noticed, less violent and therefore more attractive alternative to the US-Mexican border. Remember, these fellows are business men, in all ways as ethical and scrupulous as the Wall Street whiz kids, and they want the stream of traffic with the least publicity possible. In many cases, publicity is not good for business.
Well, as a matter of fact, it would be nice if you would just come right out here on the Huffington Post and admit to all the readers that you are a racist bigot and that the only reason you get exercised about the Mexican-US border is that you don't like people who don't look just like you coming in to the US.