WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Children born in the United States to undocumented immigrants should not receive US citizenship, Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum said on Thursday.
“I would propose we join every other developed country in the world, and put an end to the automatic citizenship for children born here to illegal immigrants,” Santorum stated in a speech on immigration policy at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.
Santorum is the first Republican presidential candidate to propose prohibiting individuals from birthright citizenship. US citizenship obtained on the basis of being born in the United States is guaranteed by the country's law and is confirmed by a ruling of the US Supreme Court.
In his comments, Santorum also promised to make the Mexican government cooperate with the United States on border-crossing laws, and threatened to suspend border crossing cards if Mexico failed to comply.
Moreover, Santorum proposed enforcing a biometric tracking system for every immigrant who enters the United States to fine them if they overstay.
“I will end the practice of sanctuary cities by withholding federal funds from any city that refuses to cooperate with Federal law,” he said, referring to practice of some US local authorities extending sanctuary to undocumented immigrants.
Santorum added he also supports ending existing policy that resulted in 30,000 criminal undocumented immigrants being released from prison in 2014, “because their native country simply won’t accept them.”
In 2014, the United States saw a surge in undocumented immigrants as more than 140,000 unaccompanied children attempted to cross its southern border.
President Barack Obama signed an Executive Order in November 2014 to grant immunity to millions of undocumented immigrants with the possibility to obtain permits to work.
However, the Executive Order was interpreted by numerous critics as providing immunity or amnesty to those seeking to illegally immigrate to the United States.
Estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants reside in the United States.
