SALT LAKE CITY -- A Clinton lawmaker's call to alter the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution brought forth a return cry from Democrats and others who want to protect birthright citizenship. On Friday, more than 50 people gathered at a Salt Lake City park to denounce the legislative efforts of Rep. Paul Ray, R-Clinton.
"This is politics at its worst," Rep. David Litvack, the Utah House minority leader, said of Ray's announced effort suggesting the change to the Constitution.
Earlier this week, Ray said he would draft a resolution, to be sent to Congress, asking that the 14th Amendment be changed so children born of illegal immigrants are not granted automatic citizenship.
Ray believes Utah taxpayers pay too much for health and human service programs used by U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants. He also wants an updated court interpretation of the 14th Amendment.
"We are just trying to get some kind of action out of Washington, D.C.," Ray said Friday.
But a Utah law professor who spoke at the park gathering said there was little precedent for this type of change.
"Only once has the Constitution been amended to take rights away," said Emily Chiang, who teaches at the University of Utah. "That was prohibition."
According to data gathered by Ray, Utah taxpayers will spend $57.3 million in 2010 on food stamps, child care, Medicaid, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families when the programs are used to benefit children of illegal immigrants.
Ray said he wants to take away incentives for people to come to the U.S. illegally.
Rep. Neil Hansen, D-Ogden, said Ray was only looking at one side of the situation and described Ray's possible resolution as unproductive in the discussion of immigration reform.
"I think it is divisive," Hansen said.
But Ray believes he has support to move forward with his resolution, which has yet to be drafted.
"We started a dialogue," he said. "It's something that was needed for a long time."
He plans to present the idea to a late fall interim session meeting of the Utah Legislature and then introduce it during the 2011 session.
Comments