Ratified in 1868, the 14th Amendment to the Constitution
makes any baby born in the United States an American citizen. It was designed to ensure that former slaves were American citizens. Recently the 14th Amendment has become an issue with Republicans because it also makes babies born of illegal immigrants American citizens. The effort by the group, State Legislators for Legal Immigration, a coalition of state legislators seeks to negate the 14th Amendment by allowing states to deny birth certificates to children of illegal immigrants. Many Tea Party members simply want the 14th Amendment repealed.
