MEXICO - Birthright Citizenship Enacted

The practice, many legal historians believe, dates to the 1600s and 1700s, with European rulers encouraging migration to the expanding American colonies. Those colonists, though, wanted any of their children born overseas to retain European citizenship.

So even as the colonial boundaries shifted “you’re a citizen as long as you’re born within the domain of the king, of the monarch,” said César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández, a law professor at Ohio State University. “But the legal tie between the home country in Europe and the settlers remained strong through the promise of birthright citizenship.”

Petit Frere was born in French Saint Martin, a Caribbean island that does not offer automatic birthright citizenship. She and her mom, who is Haitian, were deported to Haiti when she was 6.

Petit Frere says she’s grateful her granddaughter was born in Mexico rather than Haiti, where surging gang violence has left more than 1 in 10 homeless.

“As a Mexican citizen, she will have more opportunities,” Petit Frere said.

That’s also true for her three nieces who were born in Brazil and made automatic citizens there, she said.

“The children of immigrants are proving to be the most outstanding in the world,” she said.

-www.nbcnews.com, 24 June 2026

Commentary: It is of interest to realize that the passage of the Immigration Act of 1924 took effect on 1 July 1924. That, in simple terms, means that all who settled in the United States were practically illegal immigrants. We can go back even earlier to the Mayflower. They had no visa. While their motto was not obvious, it was based on genocide: Kill the Indians and take their land. That is an undeniable fact.

It is of interest that most countries founded by Europeans, such as the 35 on the American continent (North and South), primarily use the Roman system.

Paul, for example, used his Roman citizenship to his advantage. We read in Acts 22:25b: “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?” During those days, Roman citizenship was widely sought after. This is evident from verse 28: “And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.” Thus, citizenship—and obtaining it—is not something new but goes back several millennia.

During Paul’s time, there was no such thing as a passport or visa; they could travel to and fro, usually with merchandise to buy or sell.

Today, it’s totally different. If, as an American citizen, one wants to visit Europe, he will have to have a passport; and starting in 2027, a travel authorization (ETIAS), which can be obtained via the internet.

We are concerned with the Church, and here we have wonderful news. Those of use who are older remember it was very rare to come across a Spanish language church. Lifeway Newsroom declares: “New Hispanic churches find success according to Lifeway Research.”

A scale shows the growth: The start begins with an average of 31 in attendance the first year, and 85 in the eighth year, growing phenomenally. Lifeway also state that 99% of Hispanic Protestant pastors consider the Scripture the authority for their congregation—for their church and for their lives.

Here, Hebrews 11:16 comes to mind: “But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.”

(See 10 Mistakes People Make About Heaven, Hell, and the Afterlife, Item #2350, $13.99.)