Andy Martin opposes illegal immigrant "anchor babies"

NEWS FROM:
ANDY MARTIN
Republican for U. S. Senator
Suite 4406
30 E. Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611-4723
(312) 440-4124

ATTENTION: ASSIGNMENT/DAYBOOK EDITORS

ANNOUNCEMENT OF NEWS CONFERENCE

“ANCHORS AWAY”

U. S. SENATE CANDIDATE ANDY MARTIN WILL PROPOSE FEDERAL STATUTE TO ABOLISH “ANCHOR BABIES” AS A BASIS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TO CLAIM U. S. RESIDENCE

MARTIN SAYS ARELLANO CIRCUS IN CHICAGO MANDATES CONGRESS TAKE ACTION ON THE LIMITED ISSUE OF “ANCHOR BABIES”

(CHICAGO)(August 27, 2007) Republican U. S. Senate candidate Andy Martin will hold a news conference Monday, August 27th at 2:00 P.M. to announce that he favors adoption of a new federal law to prohibit anchor babies from providing a basis for U. S. residence to illegal immigrants.

“The issue of how to deal with the problems of millions of illegal immigrants is not an easy one,” Martin will state. “And I continue to study all aspects of the matter.

“But I am convinced that Congress has the power to end the practice of granting automatic citizenship to ‘anchor babies.’

“During the past year we have had the Arellano Circus in Chicago, where someone who repeatedly defied the immigration laws of the United States, with the support of members of Congress, tried to use her son as an ‘anchor baby’ to claim U. S. residence.

“I have researched the applicable law in detail, and the legal issues are complex. But I am convinced that Congress has the power to override Plyler v. Doe, 457 U.S. 202 (1982), which was itself only a 5-4 decision. Thus, even on the Supreme Court an issue analogous to anchor babies was a closely divided matter.

“Illegals present in the United States are at best ‘visitors.’ They enjoy the protection of U. S. laws, but that does not necessarily mean they are automatically entitled to create citizenship for children that are born during their visits. I don’t think, for example, that Mexico grants automatic citizen to children that are accidentally born there to visitors or tourists.

“The Fourteenth Amendment grants Congress broad powers under section 5. The Supreme Court has shown great deference to congressional enactments in the area of citizenship and naturalization, as indeed it must under Article I, section 8 of the Constitution. Clearly under the legal doctrine of ‘original intent’ the several states did not intend by adoption of the Fourteenth Amendment to grant citizenship to the children of persons who had entered the United States illegally.

“A federal statute would, in order to be constitutional, operate prospectively, i.e. in the future. Congress does not have the power to revoke citizenship that may have been granted under existing interpretations of the law.

“But by removing the anchor baby incentive for illegal immigration we would cut off future Arellano travesties, where someone gives birth to create an anchor for continued illegal presence in the United States.

“The issue of illegal immigration has become increasingly emotional and increasingly irrational. We all need to quiet down and slow down. Illegal immigrants do not have ‘rights’ to violate the laws of the United States. It is high time that both Democrats and Republicans made that clear. Our existing laws and regulatory structure is not working. Reasonable minds can differ on how to resolve the overall immigration controversy; reasonable persons should not disagree with the proposition that the United States has a right to control its borders and to remove those who enter illegally.

"I will try to keep an open mind, but I will seek to force Congress to take action in areas of the immigration controversy where public sentiment has concealed. Clearly, the American people reject the concept of anchor babies, and do not feel that babies should be used as a pretext to encourage violations of U. S. immigration laws. Here, at least, we can probably obtain a wide zone of agreement in both parties on this limited issue. We can reform controversial areas of public policy by starting with small steps, and incremental remediation, not global solutions.

“I will not demonize those who disagree with me, and I will not allow them to demonize me. Candidates for the U. S. Senate have a duty to study constitutional issues—when they have the legal background and experience to do so—and to proffer intelligent and informed suggestions to the voters. That is what I plan to do.

“Later this week I will issue the draft of a proposed statue which can be circulated for debate and which would eliminate anchor babies. I first learned legislative drafting in the Illinois legislature while a law student at the University of Illinois College of Law. I have since drafted other federal statutes which became the basis for scholarly discussion and debate. Today I announce my intention to become a factor in efforts to end anchor babies,” Martin will state.

NEWS CONFERENCE DETAILS:

WHO: U. S. Senate candidate Andy Martin

WHERE: Southeast corner of Wabash and Huron Streets,
Chicago, (St. James Cathedral)

WHEN: Monday, August 27, 2007 2:00 P.M.

WHAT: Andy Martin proposes to end “Anchor Babies”
as a basis for U.S. residence by illegal immigrants

MEDIA
CONTACT: (312) 440-4124

WEBSITE: AndyforUSSenator.com

E-MAIL: AndyforUSSenator@aol.com
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Chicago-based Internet journalist, broadcaster and media critic Andy Martin is the Executive Editor and publisher of ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2007. Martin covers regional, national and world events with forty years of personal experience. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. Columns also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. Comments? E-mail: AndyMart20@aol.com. Media contact: (866) 706-2639. Web sites: ContrarianCommentary.com.