(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson says birthright citizenship has been exploited for too long and she’s co-sponsoring a bill that would limit U.S. citizenship to children born to a parent who’s a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident whose visa has not expired, “which could do exactly what the president is calling for,” she says.
Six justices on the U.S. Supreme Court yesterday struck down President Trump’s Executive Order seeking to limit birthright citizenship. Five justices agreed it volated the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, but Justice Brett Kavanagh concluded the president’s order had instead violated a federal law. Trump has called on congress to change the law rather than begin the lengthy process of trying to repeal the constitutional amendment.
Hinson, a Republican from Marion, sits on the House Select Committee on Communist China and she told Iowa reporters today that the Chinese in particular have been exploiting birthright citizenship. “Literally bringing people in for birth tourism,” Hinson said.
Hinson said if the policy isn’t changed, birthright citizenship will remain an incentive for illegal immigration. “I don’t agree with the Supreme Court here. I think they got it wrong,” Hinson said. “I think the ruling means it’s even more important in my mind that we don’t go back to open borders and drugs pouring across in our communities and then, of course, the other challenge that I keep hearing about here is illegals free-riding on taxpayer benefits.”
Hinson is the only one of the four Iowans serving in the U.S. House who are listed as a co-sponsor of the Birthright Citzenship Act, which was introduced in January of last year. Senator Chuck Grassley has expressed support for similar legislation to limit birthright citizenship and prevent what he said is “an industry” for foreigners who come to the U.S. to give birth so their child can be a U.S. citizen.
