Debate On Immigration Hits Jindal

The Advocate reported that: As the son of immigrants, Gov. Bobby Jindal is being drawn into a debate over whether birth on U.S. soil should continue to automatically guarantees U.S. citizenship. At issue is Sen. Lindsey Graham’s talk about changing the 14th Amendment to the U.S Constitution. Graham, R-S.C., takes issue with granting birthright citizenship regardless of the parents’ citizenship. Jindal, whose mother was pregnant with him when she immigrated to the United States from India in the 1970s, is becoming the poster child for opponents to Graham’s idea despite the fact that none of the proposals being floated appears to target his situation. Jindal’s camp said there is a problem with drawing the governor into the debate over immigration laws. Jindal’s press secretary, Kyle Plotkin, said the governor’s mother was in the United States on a green card, not a student visa, at the time of her son’s birth. That would have made her a legal resident. A lack of birthright citizenship also would not have prevented Jindal from later applying for U.S. citizenship on his own. Nor would it have prevented him from becoming governor although it would keep him out of the Oval Office