Oregon GOP would deny automatic citizenship to children born in U.S. to illegals

August 1, 2006

Oregon’s Republican Party approved a resolution in late July that would deny citizenship to babies born on U.S. soil to illegal and legal immigrants who are not citizens.

Said Jim Lehman, chairman of the Wasco County Republican Party and author of the resolution 'I wanted to light a fire and the resolution was the first step. There's enough people that want to see something done and they don't want to see the abuses.'

'I am not aware of any dispute among constitutional scholars about the meaning of the first clause of the 14th Amendment,' said Greg Chaimov, a government law specialist with Davis Wright Tremaine.

Charles Hinkle, a Portland attorney and constitutional expert, said if the Republican party's central committee wants to see the resolution put into action, it would need to get two-thirds of Congress and three-quarters of state legislatures to sign on.  That’s because it conflicts with the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which states that 'all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.'

Lehman contends that the 14th Amendment was intended to apply to newly freed slaves — not illegal immigrants who want to stay in the country.

About 70 Republican central committee party members voted on the proposal as part of several resolutions, said Amy Langdon, the party's executive director.

Langdon called the resolution “more of a statement to let people know where we stand.'