This is the Cato Daily Podcast for Tuesday, September 1st, 2015. I'm Caleb Brown.

Depending on who you ask, the immigration issue could either unify Republicans or turn them into the long-term

minority party. Cato Scholars Alex Narasta and Emily Ekins discuss the policy and

politics of a very touchy issue for the GOP, that of birthright citizenship.

What is the state of birthright citizenship as a political issue?

Republicans are trying to make some sort of hay out of it, so what

do people think generally about that issue?

Well I think a little context is useful for explaining this. A couple of weeks ago presidential

candidate Donald Trump released his immigration platform in which he said

he planned to deport all undocumented immigrants and he wanted to end essentially birthright

citizenship.

He said they have to go.

And this led to a firestorm.

All these other Republican candidates were jumping on the bandwagon, some were just

appalled, and it's basically brought this issue of birthright citizenship to the forefront.

All right, so Alex you've responded in particular to Trump's statement. I mean would you

call it a policy paper? I mean is it at the level of detail that you can say

this is this is something substantive to discuss with respect

to birthright citizenship?

Let's just say it's on the short end of what a white paper would be.

It's not a very serious document.

It doesn't deal with too many of the objections people would make

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