Anchor Babies.

Some top Republicans - such as Senator John McCain- have begun looking into the issue of so-called "anchor babies" as it pertains to 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

"The senators said their concerns arose from recent reports of a burgeoning 'birth tourism' industry, which helps expectant mothers abroad travel to the United States to deliver their babies. They also said that birthright citizenship, which is granted by the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, could provide an incentive for people to enter the country illegally."

While in the U.S. House, current candidate for the Republican nomination as Governor of Georgia, Nathan Deal introduced the "Birthright Citizenship Act of 2009" :

Official Summary
4/2/2009--Introduced.Birthright Citizenship Act of 2009 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to consider a person born in the United States "subject to the jurisdiction" of the United States for citizenship at birth purposes if the person is born in the United States of parents, one of whom is:
(1) a U.S. citizen or national;
(2) a lawful permanent resident alien whose residence is in the United States; or
(3) an alien performing active service in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Washington Post writer,Harold Meyerson sees the Republican push to change the Amendment as all Washington Post writers see anything Republicans do ....as being steeped in racism.

I, for one, do not see the proposal as being ultimately racist, though I do have a problem with this monkeying around with the 14th Amendment. On the face of it, the requirement that one parent be a U.S. citizen or green card holder seems OK, but it worries me. In today's environment, will the requirement soon become, both parents U.S. citizens or permanent resident?

I am a U.S. citizen (born in the good ol' U.S. of A.) though my wife is not. When that our son was born, my wife was here legally, but due to the overburdened state of affairs at the USCIS at that time, she had not yet received her permanent residence card. Legal, but no "green card". Would a difference in the 14th Amendment have jeopardized the citizenship of my child?

Many on the Right would probably say my worries are over nothing; I'm a citizen - so no problem. I'm not so sure about that. I'm not the only one I know who is in the same boat, so to speak. I know of several families where the father is American while the mother isn't. The mothers in question are all here legally, but like our situation, the official "green card" arrived after the birth of a child.

Something has to be done about illegal immigration but, let's not throw the proverbial baby out with the bathwater.