Jeb Wants ‘Greater Enforcement’ To Prevent Birthright Citizenship ‘Abuse’

Republican presidential candidate former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush speaks during an education summit Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2015, in Londonderry, N.H. (AP Photo/Jim Cole)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) on Wednesday said that the U.S. government needs to better prevent abuse of birthright citizenship, but he stopped short of calling for an end to the practice of automatically granting citizenship to people born in the U.S.

During an interview on Bill Bennett’s radio show, Bush reiterated that birthright citizenship is guaranteed as part of the Constitution, but called for “greater enforcement.”

“If there’s fraud or if there’s abuse, if people are bringing, pregnant women are coming in to have babies simply because they can do it, then there ought to be greater enforcement,” he said. “That’s the legitimate side of this. Better enforcement so that you don’t have these, you know, ‘anchor babies,’ as they’re described, coming into the country.”

Since Donald Trump called for an end to birthright citizenship, numerous presidential candidates have followed suit and supported revoking that right.

But Jeb Bush has resisted that policy position. On Monday, he said that birthright is guaranteed under the Constitution and added, “There are like 10 things I would change in the Constitution with a magic wand.” He later backtracked and clarified that he meant to highlight that changing the Constitution is a long and difficult process.

After Bush’s comments to Bennett on Wednesday, Hillary Clinton criticized him for using the term “anchor babies.”

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. Avatar for mjv135 mjv135 says:

    So that whole “Autopsy” thing after Mitt’s disastrous campaign, especially the outreach to Latinos part … they print that on toilet paper or something?

  2. I don’t know if Jeb! really thinks this or is afraid he will be left in the dust if he doesn’t step out of the line of whatever Trump says.

    In fact, this whole campaign of his seems to be about following - following his brother, following Trump, following whatever the outrage of the day is…
    it’s like he’s afraid to be himself or something. Has he taken a stand on anything yet???

    Also I don’t think the Republican Party likes the Constitution the way they seem to pretend to.

  3. Keep on talking and you’ll keep on losing.

    Idiot.

  4. Enforcement of what? Does he think there are laws against pregnant women entering the United States?

    What a fucking simpleton.

  5. I don’t know what Jeb seeks to accomplish by being the weak, mealy-mouthed version of crazy.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

17 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for fgs Avatar for mattinpa Avatar for mjv135 Avatar for leftflank Avatar for enon Avatar for teenlaqueefa Avatar for bradbennett Avatar for trumpdog Avatar for turdburgler Avatar for carlosfiance Avatar for andy49 Avatar for serendipitoussomnambulist Avatar for riverstreet Avatar for darrtown Avatar for buzz Avatar for hellslittlestangel Avatar for chicago11 Avatar for bankerpup

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: