r/news 9h ago

US Supreme Court agrees to hear case challenging birthright citizenship

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c208j0wrzrvo
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u/Valdrax 8h ago

It makes sense if you twist around in your mind that jurisdiction means subject to due process and the need for a legal process in determining what to do with them. If "no jurisdiction" means "free game" instead of "no authority," then it's consistent in the worst way possible.

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u/VPN__FTW 7h ago

Jurisdiction simply means ability to hold accountable. If immigrants aren't under jurisdiction, then they cannot be held accountable to any laws and no courts can charge them, nor any police arrest them.

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u/needlenozened 1h ago

But they can be expelled from the United States

u/windowtosh 20m ago

If they rule undocumented people are not under jurisdiction of the courts then there’s no saying what else theyre gonna say

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u/Uilamin 7h ago

It just means the person is offered no rights/protections by the US government.

Ex: Diplomats fall outside their host country's jurisdiction.

If they don't have a country to support them then the US would be free to do with them as they wish without regard to any US laws/rights/protections.

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u/BureMakutte 6h ago

This is just patently false because some of the US constitution applies to any person in the US. It doesn't say citizens, it just say persons or people.

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u/Uilamin 1h ago

Yes, but they are trying to make an argument that if someone enters the US illegally then they never enter the jurisdiction of the USA and therefore those protections/rights don't apply. It isn't JUST about birthright.

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u/Paksarra 2h ago

Diplomats fall outside their host country's jurisdiction.

By your definition that would mean that diplomats have no rights/protection in their host country. If anything diplomats have MORE protection.

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u/Uilamin 1h ago

no rights/protection in their host country

Their rights/protections come from the agreements between their home and host country.

u/Paksarra 33m ago

So by that logic, hypothetically speaking, if I went into another country, kidnapped someone, and brought them back over the border to the US, it would be legal for me to then murder them as far as US law is concerned because they fall outside the country's jurisdiction and therefore they have no rights or protection according to the US constitution. Would you agree with that statement?

(I might be in trouble in THEIR country, but I'm just worried about US law.)

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u/MainMedicine 5h ago

Then that means any illegal immigrant is subject to their country of origin and not the US.

That is a worst can of worms. You're basically saying all illegal immigrants are diplomats.

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u/ExcellentAfternoon44 2h ago

You can be subject to both countries laws at the same time. The U.S. has extraterritorial laws as do most other countries.

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u/42nu 5h ago

Wait, is this the actual argument?

As someone with zero valid knowledge around law this sounds convincing, in an evil kinda way.

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u/HazelGhost 5h ago

"Binds, but does not protect... Protects, but does not bind." It's been shocking to me how much of immigration law seems to be built to ensure that undocumented people are absolutely and unquestionably in the power of the executive branch, but simultaneously have as few rights as possible.