Good poll Digger, one that I think should be done. I am not sure what your readership is but I put my vote in their!

Granting citizenship to illegal alien babies is basically an Executive branch amnesty. Congress nor the Supreme Court has ever decided one way or the other on this issue, so the Executive branch has made their own interpretation, and has decided to give them citizenship. Since as this poll shows they should not be US citizens, but the Executive branch (currently President Bush) continues to do the opposite, President Bush is in effect granting amnesty to 500,000 illegal aliens every year. To put it another way, President Bush is already currently VIOLATING his pledge of no amnesty for illegal aliens.

Actually there's not much that can be done unless the Constitution is actually amended. The 14th amendment is pretty clear, it just left a lot of loopholes.

Section 1. 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. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

The 14th was initially added to grant citizenship to slaves that were freed by the 13th amendment since they were born on U.S. soil. It most definitely was not envisioned that people would travel thousands and thousands of miles (as transportation back then was a risky endeavour) just to break their water on our soil in order to derive massive benefits (benefits weren't so great that you could literally sit on your ass for life and live off of them like they are now) just by doing so.

So while I disagree strongly with Bush's immigration stance, I don't lay this item at his doorstep but at the doorstep of Congress which hasn't pursued fixing this problem.

What you say is essentially correct Digger, however the 14th A. does not give the illegal parents the right to stay in the United States. There have been several court cases that have enabled illegals to stay for that reason. More proof that a run away judiciary has changed the face and meaning of our Constitution.

You are also correct that the President isn't directly responsible for the illegal situation, however he does have the authority without Congressional approval or oversight to send National Gaurd Troops to the border and keep them there for a long as they are needed. That would require a simple executive order from him. And just a reminder, no President, Democrat or Republican, since World War II has done anything to stop illegal entry into the United States from Mexico.