New Jersey Candidate Challenges Birthright Citizenship
Jack Ciattarelli, a gubernatorial candidate in New Jersey, has taken a firm stance against birthright citizenship, despite the fact that his own lineage is rooted in this policy.
The 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, established in 1868, has traditionally been interpreted to grant citizenship to all individuals born on American soil, irrespective of their parents’ nationality. This interpretation is currently under scrutiny following an executive order by President Donald Trump, who asserts that the amendment was originally intended only for the descendants of freed slaves.
The issue is now under review by the Supreme Court. A decision to abolish birthright citizenship could fundamentally alter U.S. policy, affecting approximately 11 million individuals born and raised in the nation who could face the threat of deportation.
At a campaign event last month, Ciattarelli expressed his view on the matter, stating, “Do I believe that someone should be able to just cross the border, give birth and have that baby be an American citizen? I don’t. That’s not what the intent was of the 14th Amendment.”
However, historical documents reveal an interesting facet of Ciattarelli’s own family history. Census and military records indicate that his grandfather, Antonio Ciattarelli, had two children in the United States prior to his naturalization as a citizen.
Antonio Ciattarelli’s World War I draft registration card from 1917 or 1918 marks him as an alien, typical for many Italian immigrants who had not yet completed the naturalization process. The card also notes he had two children at that time.
Further documentation from the 1920 census shows Antonio had initiated the citizenship process but was not yet a citizen. It records his arrival in the United States in 1908 and the birth of his children in 1914 and 1915, who are thus recognized as citizens.
By 1930, the census confirms Antonio’s naturalization, and another child, Anthony Ciattarelli, was born. The precise timing of Anthony’s birth in relation to his father’s naturalization remains unclear.
In contrast to Ciattarelli’s views, his Democratic rival, Mikie Sherrill, supports the Born in the USA Act, legislation designed to counteract Trump’s executive order and preserve birthright citizenship.
The post Ciattarelli wants to end the immigration policy that made his family American appeared first on American Journal News.
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