Creating Second Class Citizenship for the U.S. Citizen Children of Undocumented Immigrants? Look Out for a California Initiative!

Anna Gorman and Teresa Watanabe of the L.A.Times report on a troubling development that would likely end up in the courts and, presumably like Proposition 187, be struck down:  "[A]ctivists opposed to illegal immigration have launched a campaign for an initiative that would, among other things, cut off welfare payments to the U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants. Those children are eligible for welfare benefits because they are U.S. citizens."

Are we willing to create a group of second class citizens in an attempt to balance the California budget?  It is one thing to reduce benefits to undocumente immigrants.  It is quite another to target U.S. citizen children because of the immigration status of their parents.  Hopefully, the proposed initiative will never qualify for the ballot.  However, given the antipathy that many have for undocumented immigrants and public benefits, one has to worry.

KJ