Georgia Representative Nathan Deal (yes, THAT Congressman Deal) introduced a bill last year in the House, HR 1868,”To amend section 301 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to clarify those classes of individuals born in the United States who are nationals and citizens of the United States at birth.”
“Clarify” is a peculiar word in this context because what the bill would do is restrict citizenship to cases where at least one parent is in the country legally. It seeks to change the applicability of the 14th Amendment by “defining” who is subject to the jurisdiction of the United States “for the purposes” of this bill.
It seems strange that someone could be under the jurisdiction of the United States, say, when they were being deported, but not under the jurisdiction when begetting children. I think the bill is dead out of the starting gates on Constitutional grounds.
Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law, May 25, 2009.
Nathan Deal is the Congressman that sent a letter to President Obama raising issues about Obama’s birthplace, although the actual text of the letter has not been published.