We stand in affirmation of the topic Resolved: Birthright citizenship should be abolished in the United States. We define abolish according to the Black’s Law Dictionary as to annul, eliminate, or destroy, especially an ongoing practice or thing and “should” from the Merriam Webster dictionary as a word used to express obligation.
The criteria for this round will be net benefits and if we prove that abolishing birthright citizenship provides even a minute benefit or keeping it is minutely harmful an affirmative ballot is warranted.
Contention 1) Education for the children of illegal immigrants constitutes the single largest cost to taxpayers.
According to
At an annual price tag of $52 billion, state and local governments absorb nearly all of the costs of education for these children.
Undoubtedly one of the strongest arguments for ending birthright citizenship centers on the costs that American taxpayers incur as a result of illegal immigration. While the Supreme Court has ruled that even illegal immigrants and their children must receive education if they are of proper age, United States law clearly states that illegal immigrants are not eligible for benefits such as Medicare or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF for short).
Once one member of the family is a citizen, this is no longer the case. As such, once illegal immigrant families have children, they are eligible as those children are American citizens. This is unfair because illegal immigrants receive the same benefits as their legal counterparts do; yet they are not paying an equivalent amount into the system.
Contention 2) Birthright citizenship encourages illegal immigration.
Subpoint A) The status quo creates an incentive for illegal immigration where the reward for illegally entering the country can be an American child. According to the
The benefits attached to having an American child extend beyond those associated with social