Discussion Question 1

What happens to a child born to a parent who is a U.S. citizen but has not lived in the U.S. for at least five years of which two years were after the child’s fourteenth birthday? Explain the procedure for obtaining U.S. citizenship for a child in such a situation, and discuss the law applicable in this case. Do you agree with the law regarding the children of U.S. citizens? Would you prefer they use some different criteria? What happens to children born in this country to noncitizen parents? What is the status of these children? What rights do they have to U.S. entitlement programs and citizenship? Discuss.
 

Discussion Question 2

Waves of immigrants from Mexico became a controversial issue in several border states such as California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. On one hand, the immigrants were in high demand for below-market wages in agricultural and construction work while providing immigrants, who may work for lower wages, with jobs could lead to an unbalanced economy and job market. Recall the concepts of citizenship granted on grounds of jus soli and jus sanguinis, the Immigration Act of 1990 and the U.S. Citizen Reform Act of 2005, respectively, to suggest solutions on how to control such overflow by tightening the immigration laws. How has this problem been solved? Did the U.S. manage to have low paid workers from Mexico without suffering from Mexican overflow? Search the Internet for the relevant immigration laws and cite the applicable law. Also conduct research on the current events and legislative activity in the border states. Discuss whether or not the solution provided solves the problem. What might be a better way of handling the problem?