(Letter to the Editor - Photo Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments concerning the issuance of President Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship for children of immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally.

Amendment XXVI of the U.S. Constitution, Section 1, reads, in brief, “The right of citizens of the U.S., who are eighteen years of age or older to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the U.S. or any state on account of age.”

Amendment XXIV, Section 1, of the U.S. Constitution, reads in brief, “The right of citizens of the U.S. to vote in any primary or other election shall not be denied or abridged by the U.S. or any state by reason of failure to pay a poll tax or any tax.”

Amendment XIX of the U.S. Constitution reads, in brief, “The right of citizens of the U.S. to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the U.S. or any state on account of sex.”

Amendment XV of the U.S. Constitutions reads in brief, “The right of citizens of the U.S. to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the U.S. or by any state on account of color, race:”

Notice these amendments begin with the words “The rights of citizens of the U.S.” and Section 2 of these amendments reads “Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.”

Amendment XIV of the U.S. Constitution, Section 1, reads in brief, “All persons born or naturalized in the U.S. and subject to the jurisdiction thereof are citizens of the U.S. and the state where they reside.” Note the phrase “subject to jurisdiction thereof.” Migrants in the U.S. illegally are not subject to the jurisdiction of the U.S. They are subject to the jurisdiction of their native country. Therefore, the Supreme Court should rule birthright citizenship does not apply to children born in the U.S. of illegal immigrants.

The original purpose of Amendment XIV, passed in 1868, was to grant citizenship to slaves freed after the Civil War.

Amendment XIV never originally applied to everyone born in the U.S. Until the Indian Citizenship Act became law in 1924, Native Americans were not recognized as American citizens. Before then, Native Americans were considered “under the jurisdiction of” (allegiant to) their tribal government, not the U.S. government.

Granting birthright citizenship automatically to children of immigrants illegally in the U.S. perverts the amendment’s intent.

Hopefully, the U.S. Supreme Court will rule accordingly.

Steve Wolverton

Parkersburg