Dershowitz: Blanket Birthright Citizenship Is ‘Foolish,’ But It’s in the Constitution

[Clip starts PLATKIN When ░░░░░░░░ took the oath to ░░░░░░░░ your attorney general I ░░░░░░░░ that I would uphold ░░░░░░░░ Constitution of this state ░░░░░░░░ of this nation And ░░░░░░░░ we say we ll ░░░░░░░░ the rule of law ░░░░░░░░ mean it That s ░░░░░░░░ this morning I led ░░░░░░░░ coalition of 18 states ░░░░░░░░ District of Columbia and ░░░░░░░░ city of San Francisco ░░░░░░░░ suing President Trump and ░░░░░░░░ administration for the unlawful ░░░░░░░░ he signed yesterday that ░░░░░░░░ the Constitution upended centuries ░░░░░░░░ precedent and denied residents ░░░░░░░░ our state and across ░░░░░░░░ country the right that ░░░░░░░░ have in the Constitution ░░░░░░░░ birthright citizenship Clip ends ░░░░░░░░ SUSTEREN Harvard Law School ░░░░░░░░ emeritus and author of ░░░░░░░░ book The 10 Big ░░░░░░░░ Israel Lies and How ░░░░░░░░ Refute Them with Truth ░░░░░░░░ Alan Dershowitz joins me ░░░░░░░░ evening sir Tell me ░░░░░░░░ this constitutional Does the ░░░░░░░░ have the authority to ░░░░░░░░ this DERSHOWITZ The answer ░░░░░░░░ pretty clear that it ░░░░░░░░ not constitutional I think ░░░░░░░░ idea that a person ░░░░░░░░ in the United States ░░░░░░░░ automatically a citizen is ░░░░░░░░ I mean you have ░░░░░░░░ who has no connection ░░░░░░░░ the country His mother ░░░░░░░░ here skiing and she ░░░░░░░░ an early pregnancy the ░░░░░░░░ was born and three ░░░░░░░░ later was sent back ░░░░░░░░ her country and never ░░░░░░░░ to the United States ░░░░░░░░ can run for president ░░░░░░░░ can t run for ░░░░░░░░ you have to have ░░░░░░░░ here 15 years to ░░░░░░░░ for president but can ░░░░░░░░ a full and complete ░░░░░░░░ The only exception to ░░░░░░░░ is the 14th Amendment ░░░░░░░░ All persons born that ░░░░░░░░ was born but and ░░░░░░░░ to the jurisdiction thereof ░░░░░░░░ that s where some ░░░░░░░░ say well if a ░░░░░░░░ left the country and ░░░░░░░░ had any connection maybe ░░░░░░░░ person isn t subject ░░░░░░░░ the jurisdiction of the ░░░░░░░░ States I think that ░░░░░░░░ require legislation So I ░░░░░░░░ the weakest case is ░░░░░░░░ president just announcing it ░░░░░░░░ know it may be ░░░░░░░░ right thing to say ░░░░░░░░ a policy point of ░░░░░░░░ The second stronger case ░░░░░░░░ be if Congress passed ░░░░░░░░ saying a person born ░░░░░░░░ the United States will ░░░░░░░░ be deemed subject to ░░░░░░░░ jurisdiction if he is ░░░░░░░░ in the country for ░░░░░░░░ then list a bunch ░░░░░░░░ times But I think ░░░░░░░░ weakest case is just ░░░░░░░░ announce that we re ░░░░░░░░ not going to follow ░░░░░░░░ words of the 14th ░░░░░░░░ That seems very very ░░░░░░░░ to justify Obviously the ░░░░░░░░ will have the last ░░░░░░░░ on this and it ░░░░░░░░ on whether you re ░░░░░░░░ literalist reading the Constitution ░░░░░░░░ more of a functionalist ░░░░░░░░ rule itself is not ░░░░░░░░ wise rule but it ░░░░░░░░ in the Constitution.”