TRUMP'S ANTI-IMMIGRANT CRUSADE DOESN'T EVEN RESPECT CITIZENS

Last Sunday President-elect Trump spoke in an interview with NBC's Meet the Press and came out with more craziness. Not only did he talk again about the massive deportations planned for next year saying he will supposedly start with criminals but he also talked about how he will work to eliminate the constitutional right to U.S. citizenship by birth. The only good thing he said is that he is willing to negotiate with the Democrats for a solution for the dreamers admitting that many of them are very good people and have excellent jobs. We hope this is true.

TRUMP THREATENS TO TAKE AWAY BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP

For now I want to focus on his racist plan to take away birthright citizenship from newborns born in the United States whose parents do not have permanent legal status. While there is almost no law professor or professor of law, judge or lawyer who would agree that he can change the provision that people born in the United States, with the exception of children born to diplomats, or children of military personnel from other countries that are at war with the United States, automatically get U.S. citizenship by birth.

The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified more than 150 years ago in 1868 after the Civil War, states that persons born in the territory and subject to the jurisdiction of the territory obtain U.S. citizenship by the simple fact of being born in the country, regardless of the immigration status of their parents, since nothing is mentioned in this regard.

There was also a famous Supreme Court case of a person specifically of Chinese descent in 1898, named Wong Kim Ark v. United States when immigration officials tried to deny entry after a visit abroad to a young man of Chinese descent born in California. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Mr. Ark clarifying that regardless of who the parents are someone born within U.S. territory is automatically a U.S. citizen. Trump also said in the interview, although this court decision has been well recognized and important for over 125 years, another one of his lies, that the Supreme Court never decided this issue which is obviously not true.

We should be prepared to see how Trump will try to attack U.S. born citizens for the fact that their parents are not legally in the U.S. We should be prepared to see how Trump will try to attack U.S. born citizens for the fact that their parents are not legally in the country. Already the top lawyers have their defenses ready, we will also have to fight politically when Trump tries to make this change.

Trump may try to change the constitution of the United States regarding this issue, but it is very difficult because he needs the vote in favor of two thirds of the congress, which is almost impossible taking into account the number of democrats that are against it and we hope that some republicans with common sense will also join, and after this there must also be what is called a ratification which means that it must be approved by three quarters of the total of the states or by 38 states which we believe will also be impossible.

Politically we have to make the public aware and let them see the plans of incoming president Trump who does not care about the law only about hurting immigrants.

We have to be prepared against Trump's extremely racist proposals and seek to change them in any way we can. We cannot allow Trump's anti-immigrant crusade to change the birthright U.S. citizenship provision to go forward.

NO LICENSES FOR ALL IN MICHIGAN

Unfortunately the state congress in Lansing could not agree to pass the licenses for all bill, even though for a time Democrats controlled the state congress. We do not know when it will be possible since starting the year 2025 the Republicans, the vast majority against this project, will have control of the Lansing house of representatives, it is unfortunate that for two years the Democrats could not keep their promise to pass this much needed project especially because of the changes that will come with Trump.

Still we have to thank the Cosecha activists and other groups who worked hard to pass this bill, but did not succeed because some fearful politicians did not do their part, but the fight must go on.