GOP wants to end automatic citizenship for people born in America

[Gabu]

I've never quite understood this notion of someone being born in America becoming a citizen, even if neither of the parents are citizens.  Where did it come from?

[Gabu]

I've never quite understood this notion of someone being born in America becoming a citizen, even if neither of the parents are citizens.  Where did it come from?

It comes from English common law. According to English law, the nationality of the parents was irrelevant; all that mattered was where the child was born. Anyone born inside England was considered a subject of the king, even if the parents were aliens. Similarly, anyone born outside England was considered an alien, even if his parents were English.

(It is true, there were a few narrow exceptions to this general rule; for example: the children of diplomats.)

And... why was that the case?

I'm looking for a justification, not just vacuous precedent.