Reply #132: Of course it wouldn't be retroactive.

[kristopher]

You can't make laws that are. I would see it as part of a comprehensive strategy to address the undocumented worker problem. I have no desire to run all those without proper visas out of the country, and I think an amnesty program is the best ultimate solution. However, it MUST be accompanies by meaningful reform such as you suggest - harsher legislation and stronger enforcement against employers. That, in turn, requires a use of real national registry system so citizenship can be easily verified.

I see the anchor baby syndrome as a small but significant part of the discussion. No other country uses birthright citizenship, and if changing it were the price of getting through a strong bill that brought the undocumented workers (and their families) into the mainstream I think it would be well worth it.


Edited to add: I meant to address the "limbo" question. There would be no state of limbo. All that happens (even now as the parents seek dual citizenship) is that the parents either report the the birth to their embassy or they report it to the proper agency when they return to their home country. The preschool child are generally assumed to have the citizenship of the mother when nothing else is evident.