Here’s another one for the list of out-there Rand Paul statements…
Paul recently suggested to a Russian TV station that the U.S. should abandon its policy of granting citizenship to the children of illegal immigrants — even if they’re born on U.S. soil.
Paul also said he’s discussed instituting an “underground electrical fence” on the border to keep out unwanted elements, though he emphasized that he’s “not opposed to letting people come in and work and labor in our country.”
The real problem, Paul said, is that the U.S. “shouldn’t provide an easy route to citizenship” because of “demographics.”
According to Paul, the proportion of Mexican immigrants that register as Democrats is 3-to-1, so of course “the Democrat Party is for easy citizenship.”
He added: “We’re the only country that I know that allows people to come in illegally, have a baby, and then that baby becomes a citizen. And I think that should stop also.”
The 14th Amendment grants citizenship to anyone born in the United States, regardless of whether or not their parents are U.S. citizens.
Paul’s not alone here. Others have suggested that the U.S. should change this part of the Constitution, including 90 House Republicans who have co-sponsored a bill that seeks to do just that.
But not so fast! Experts have told TPM that this is “clearly unconstitutional.”
Immigration talk comes in at around the 8:30 mark:
The Paul campaign did not immediately return TPM’s request for comment.
