Birthright citizens and the corruption of blood.

Consider five types of persons.

1. One person is born on U.S. soil of citizen parents and is raised here.

2. The second is born outside the U.S. to citizen parents and grows up outside the U.S.

3. The third is born on U.S. soil to non-citizen legal residents and grows up in the U.S.

4. The fourth is born on U.S. soil to non-citizen legal residents and grows up outside the U.S.

5. The fifth is born on U.S. soil to non-citizen illegal residents and grows up on U.S. soil.

According to some, only the last category cannot be automatic, birthright, citizens of the U.S. But why? Surely growing up in the U.S. makes one American in a way that growing up outside the U.S. wouldn't?

And what did any of those babies do that is different than what any of the other babies did? In what way would we distinguish the babies from each other as one being any more deserving of citizenship than any other?

If we exclude any of those babies from birthright citizenship because of the actions of their parents, aren't we punishing the children for the actions of their parents? The U.S. Constitution prohibits corruption of blood because we don't believe in placing the sins of the father on the son.