Protect all babies, but not those babies

Iowa Attorney General Brenna bird talks often of her staunch opposition to abortion.

“Every life is valuable and worth our state’s protection — no matter what stage of life they are in,” Bird said in defense of Iowa’s six-week abortion ban.

And yet, Bird is spearheading an effort to make sure babies born in the United States to undocumented immigrant parents can’t become U.S. Citizens.

“President Trump is right: we must restore the meaning and value of American citizenship,” Bird said in a statement. “For too long, mass numbers of illegal aliens and foreign tourists — especially from China — have been entering our country just to give birth here and hand their kids American citizenship. On top of that, taxpayers are on the hook to pay for it.”

So, babies are valuable and worth protection. But some babies are not. Mostly the brown ones. You know how it is, right?

Bird is leading a group of 18 red state attorneys general in an attempt protect President Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship. A federal judge hearing the case in Boston has put the president’s order on hold, and is expected to render a ruling.

The big problem Bird and her brigade are facing is the U.S. Constitution, specifically the 14th amendment, section one. It says, “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.”

Bird serves in a state that wouldn’t be growing without newcomers and desperately needs workers. Are we really determined to deny babies health care?

If you’re born here, you’re a U.S. citizen, unless your parents are foreign diplomats or part of an invading army. It’s one of the things that makes America exceptional. If you’re born on American soil, you’re in. Welcome to this U.S. mess.

It’s your problem now, just like the rest of us.

The attorneys general are trying to pin their hopes of kicking out babies on that “subject to the jurisdiction thereof.” They argue people here illegally are not subject to the jurisdiction.

Their brief tries very hard to find court cases to give their claim life, but they can’t find one that fits perfectly, perfectly enough to toss out what’s been widely regarded as a constitutional right since the 14th was passed just after the Civil War.

They summon the arguments of conservative legal scholars, point to news coverage and call these parents “tourists,” again and again. If we could just catapult their kids back to Venezuela, surely others will be discouraged.

Dred Scott is being recognized more and more.

Have they met parents who will sacrifice everything to make sure their kids have better lives? The adolescent mortality rate for boys ages 10-19 in Venezuela 19.7 per 100,000, according to the World Health Organization. That’s more than three times higher than the United States’ 5.7 rate.

In 2020 the American Immigration Council estimated about 3 percent of kids in Iowa live with at least one undocumented family member. That’s 21,000 kids. Not much of an invasion.

A study by MIT found immigrants are 80% more likely to start a business than native-born Americans. That puts a dent in the idea these kids will remain permanent wards of the state, playing on all the racist tropes our conservative friends use to play up white fear.

My faith in America has been tested plenty. But I still don’t believe Trump will succeed on this. I won’t believe we’re that far gone.

(319) 398-8262; todd.dorman@thegazette.com