Aug 18^th

Donald Trump continues to make news, even though there was a brief hiatus when he was called to jury duty yesterday in New York City. Now we have politicians who have come forth to agree with his position on deporting illegal immigrants and all their children. The number of potential deportees is unknown but is estimated variously at between 10 and 15 million people. I mentioned yesterday that there is no reason to believe that the countries from whence these folks came will take them back, but that is a minor problem for Trump’s scheme. A major problem is that exporting the children of these folks, children born in this country, are, by the 14^th Amendment to the Constitution, United States citizens. No problem says Trump; just change the Constitution.

Who buys into the Trump plan? We begin with that stalwart conservative, the Governor of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal. Governor Jindal you may remember was in England not long ago where he endeared himself to officialdom there by insisting that Muslims had instituted their own Sharia law in some cities where even the police were afraid to go.  When faced with a “show me” from officials, Bobby didn’t back down but he didn’t produce the any evidence either. Now Bobby, and many other far right Republican candidates, is supporting Trump’s suggestions. Even Scott Walker has bought this “pot of message” and tries to convince everyone that he was there first.

Let’s face it, offering automatic citizenship to any child born here regardless of the status of that child’s parents is a magnet for pregnant women to get to this country before they deliver. A Rasmussen (perhaps right biased) poll found 61 percent of respondents believe the Constitution should be changed. Legislation is already on its way to do that; it won’t be easy though because simply passing legislation won’t do the job if SCOTUS declares the result unconstitutional, and that’s what they will do. There are businesses in this country devoted entirely to providing a safe and pleasant environment for foreign nationals coming here on tourist Visas specifically to have a child who will then be a U.S. citizen. This isn’t what those originally supporting the 14^th Amendment had in mind; the Amendment was meant to provide citizenship to former slaves.

Changing the Constitution will not be easy even for Trump. Moreover changing it now will not change the status of the children already born here; they are U.S. citizens whether Trump, Bobby Jindal or Scott Walker likes it or not. Deporting U.S. citizens, even if they are the children of people who came here illegally, may not be possible even for “very, very rich” Donald Trump.