The 14th Amendment’s provision that "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States" has long been understood to guarantee automatic citizenship for all those born on American soil. Yet recently, some state and federal lawmakers have proposed changing the law to exclude children born to undocumented immigrants from what has come to be known as "birthright citizenship." In March, the Arizona state legislature rejected such a measure, but similar initiatives are proliferating throughout the states and House Judiciary Committee Chair Lamar Smith (R-TX) has declared his intention to hold hearings on the subject.
On Wednesday, May 11, 2011, the Center for American Progress and the American Constitution Society will bring together leading thinkers to discuss what our nation would look like and the impact on all Americans were the 14th Amendment’s guarantee to be repealed.
Welcoming Remarks:
Caroline Fredrickson, Executive Director, American Constitution Society
Panelists:
Wade Henderson, President and CEO, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
Margaret Stock, Adjunct Instructor, University of Alaska Anchorage
Priscilla Huang, Associate Policy Director, Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum
Sam Fulwood III, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress
Moderator:
Angela Maria Kelley, VP for Immigration Policy and Advocacy, Center for American Progress