The Lion's Pride Volume 9 (January 2018) | Page 28

Jus soli and Immigration Complications
Kandie Louise Herrera
This paper was written as a requirement for English 102. I chose the
topic of immigration out of my own interest because it directly affects my
everyday life. I did not know ahead of time exactly what direction it
would take me in. At the end of my research, I realized that this topic is
so broad and complex that I needed to narrow it down. I learned so
much, but there is so much more knowledge that cannot be gained
during one project.
Abstract
According to the Constitution of the United States, any person born
within its borders, is a citizen of not only the country, but the state in
which they will reside. This policy of jus soli, or birthright citizenship,
remains a controversial subject in matters of immigration to the United
States. While many western countries have adopted this policy in the last
few hundred years, the majority of the world continues to abide by the
direct opposite policy known as jus sanguinis, meaning the child in
question will become a citizen of the country of their parents’ origin.
This paper will consider the effects of the policy of jus soli as it pertains
to illegal immigration and why it could be beneficial to repeal the
amendment that made it possible.
Keywords: jus soli, jus sanguinis, illegal immigration, unauthorized
immigrants, anchor babies, birthright citizenship, birth tourism