Birthright CitizenshipAccording to the Council on Foreign Relations, birthright citizenship “grants citizenship to anyone born in the United States regardless of the status of their parents” (Rawlins, 2011 ). While this appears to be in line with the Fourteenth Amendment which states “all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States, and of the State wherein they reside” (Congress, 1866), the true intent of this part of the Constitution is the subject of heated debate, especially in light of the current economic crisis in the United States. That said, it may behoove voters to examine the real costs versus benefits of birthright citizenship and what effect this is having on the country as a whole. There are many political figures who believe that the intent of the Fourteenth Amendment did not include automatically granting American citizenship to those born to illegal immigrants. One such advocate is Senator Lindsey Graham, a representative of the state of South Carolina. In summary, Graham believes that the United States has made “a mistake” in granting such citizenship and that the practice of birthright only serves to encourage illegal immigration (Preston, 2010). This senator is one of many who believe that illegal immigrants are not under the jurisdiction of the United States, as outlined in the Fourteenth Amendment. Furthermore, he shares the belief that immigrants cross U.S. borders with the intention of having children on American soil, in order to solidify their ability to reside illegally without going through the legal process of citizenship. For example, once an illegal immigrant has a child in the United States, the child becomes a citizen, and halfway through the document......320birthright-citizenship-illegal-immigration.htmlOpenCongress. (2011). HR140 – Birthright Citizenship Act. Retrieved from http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-h140/showPreston, Julia. (2010, August 6). Citizenship from birth is questioned on the right. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/07/us/politics/07fourteenth.htmlRawlins, Aimee. (2011, January 26). The birthright citizenship debate. Retrieved from http://www.cfr.org/immigration/birthright-citizenship-debate/p23900U.S Census Bureau. (2011, September 13). Poverty. Highlights. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/about/overview/index.htmlWaddington, Linda. (2011, April 20). Poll: Americans back Steve King's proposal to end birthright citizenship. Retrieved from http://www.americanondependent.com/180000/poll-americans-favor-steve-king%e2%80%99s-proposal-to-end-birthright-citizenship