So just when you thought Arizona had reached the limit of its capacity for discriminatory immigration laws, we get this headline from the Grand Canyon State:

“‘Anchor Babies’ Could be Ariz.’s Next Target”

Essentially, Arizona State Senator Russell Pearce, the lead sponsor of SB1070, is now planning to introduce legislation that would prevent the state from issuing a birth certificate that signifies U.S. citizenship to those born to undocumented immigrants, unless one parent is a U.S. citizen.

Russell Pearce, meet the first line of the 14th Amendment:
“All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”

The proposal is unquestionably unconstitutional. But Pearce is not worried. Why? According to Politico, because he plans to “write it right.”

Unfortunately assurances that the bill is unconstitutional will not do much for the immigrants and racial minorities of Arizona where the climate of fear and discrimination is deepening with each passing day.

One more troubling factor — Pearce’s idea is not limited to Arizona.

The Birthright Citizenship Act, a bill currently pending in Congress with 91 co-sponsors (including Long Island’s very own Representative Peter King) would attempt to accomplish the same thing on a national level.

Previous attempts to distort the Constitution in the way Pearce and republicans in Congress are trying now have all failed but as they say, "if at first you don’t mislead, try, try again.”